The Broken Glass
by annietheauthor
Summary: Lockwood and Co. is faced with a challenging case - The Blythe Estate. In the time it takes to solve the case, many other things have started going on in the lives of the young agents. Suddenly, one night while out trying to locate a source, they are all separated, and everyone's in peril. Can Lockwood and Co. pull together, or is it the end of the agency? (Set in TCS) LOCKLYLE!
1. A New Client

The Broken Glass

Chapter One – A New Client

It was another wonderful, sunny day at Lockwood and Co. Lockwood swung his rapier toward Lady Esmerelda, our practicing dummy, whilst George snacked on cream filled donuts, and I casually watched Lockwood from my chair. Holly was folding clothes somewhere upstairs. Occasionally she's shout down into the office to let us know that yet another client had asked for our services. As usual, Quill Kipps, of the Fittes Agency, and Lockwood were still in stiff competition. The ghost in the jar was still helping us on cases and constantly badgering me to be let out. The phones were no-stop ringing and new clients came to see us every day. All was well in London, aside from the Problem, of course.

"Good morning everyone!" Holly cheerfully said as she entered the rapier room. "Another possible client just called. A man named Sir Samuel Blythe."

"I like that people want us to solve their ghost issues, but all these cases are wearing me out," George grumbled.

"Not me!" Lockwood exclaimed. "I'm quite enjoying myself."

I laughed. Lockwood shot me a grin as he settled down in a chair to munch on a donut. George smirked at me. And Holly? Holly didn't catch on. I broke the silence, "Right. What can you tell us about the case, Holly?"

"Well, from the little bit I could understand over the phone, he owns a large property in Bath. There is a family graveyard, a stone castle, and a large lake that he wants us to look at. Sir Samuel said that his son's family come to visit quite often, and the little girl has seen several things."

"Oh god," George moaned. "Ghosts who occupy water areas are so difficult."

"Hush. I'm interested." Lockwood glanced in George's direction.

"Well the granddaughter has seen most of the visitors. The types seem to vary. There have been reports of Glimmers, a Cold Maiden, the usual type-ones."

"Is that all?" Lockwood asked. "All of London has those. What's the main visitor?"

"The one that sticks out from the rest….is a Revenant," Holly said.

"A Revenant?" George shuddered. "It's been a while since we've had any of those."

I nodded, deep in thought. "What are you thinking about? Lucy? Luce?" Lockwood's voice shattered my reverie.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Lockwood caught my eye. He knew something was up. He broke the connection. In a single movement, Lockwood had stood up and strode over to the rapier stand. "I say we take the case. When does Sir Samuel want us to come to Bath?"

"As soon as possible."

"Well," he grinned at all of us, his gaze resting on me, "let's make it happen."

Everyone headed their separate ways. George to the Archives, Holly to Mullet's Supply Store. Lockwood and I stayed at Portland Row to prepare for the next day. Upon coming up from the kitchen, I met Lockwood on the landing.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Luce. Was everything okay earlier? When we were discussing the case?"

I knew exactly what he was talking about, but I acted like I didn't. "Of course. Why shouldn't it have been?"

Lockwood studied me for a moment and then replied, "I don't know. Something about you just worried me. Are you sure?"

"Yes," I snapped. "I'm sure." I clomped up the stairs to my room leaving Lockwood dumbfounded on the landing. The sharpness in my voice frightened and startled me. I flung myself onto my bed and the waterworks began.

Sometime later, a single knock sounded on my bedroom door. "Who is it?" I sniffed. I'd been crying. The door slowly opened and Lockwood peered in. "Luce, I'm worried about- what on earth's wrong?" he'd noticed my tearstains.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." I wiped a tear away.

"Come on Lucy. Something's getting to you." He walked over to my bed and sat down. I huddled against my pillow. "Hey." he said. "You can tell me."

"I hate to, but I suppose I will. the last time I was in Bath, I was with my sister. and I know it's ridiculous for me to cry seeing as how you lost all your family and yet you stay strong, but I miss her so, so much." I lowered my gaze and felt a tear roll down my cheek.

"Oh Lucy..."

"It makes me weak, doesn't it?"

"No." He held my gaze as a sad smile presented itself on his face. "It makes you human. It makes you strong. Look at what our lives are. You deal with ghosts every day and don't shed a tear. It won't hurt you to cry now."

"What about ghosts of the past?" I sobbed, crashing against my pillow.

Lockwood looked at me. He leaned beside me, against the pillow, thinking. And then he swept me up in a hug. Lockwood held me in his arms. He brushed away my tears. Suddenly his lips were on my forehead, sighing against my cheek. I turned to him. His bangs hung in front of his noticeably shy eyes. Lockwood pushed a hair behind my ear and pulled me against him. He was warm. I felt my blood rush, and as I leaned against Lockwood's chest, I heard his erratic heartbeat. We huddled on my bed for a long time until I felt myself drift off into a much-welcomed sleep.


	2. Awake

Chapter Two – Awake

 _Wakey Wakey._

I rose suddenly from my sleep.

 _And what do we have here?_

Oh. The skull had decided to present itself. I looked to my left. Against me slept Lockwood. I didn't know how much time had passed, but as I peered out the window, I noticed how dark it had become. It was raining. I turned back to Lockwood. He was so handsome when he slept, so peaceful. I brushed a lock of hair across his forehead and snuggled back down against him, under his arm.

"Hello Luce. I was wondering when you'd wake up."

I sat upright, startled. "You're awake." I gawked.

"Yup. I have been for almost an hour now." Lockwood stretched. "I didn't want to wake you, so I sat here, listening to the rain." I felt my cheeks go scarlet. "How'd you sleep?" he casually asked.

"Fine," I mumbled.

Lockwood grinned at me and leaned back. He snuck his arm around me. I looked up to find him smiling wildly. We sat there, cloaked in a comfortable silence until Lockwood picked up one of the novels that I had borrowed from downstairs. He started to read it aloud, when the door suddenly burst open. George careened to a halt just inside my room.

"What are you doing in here?!" gasped, his mouth hanging wide open. His look of astonishment slowly melted into a smirk.

"Reading," Lockwood replied.

"Uh huh," George said, smirk widening. "Well, dinner's ready."

"Great!" Lockwood leapt up and was gone in a heartbeat.

After Lockwood's abrupt disappearance from my room, I sat there, deep in thought. Then I realized that George was still present. "Are you coming? Or are you going to sit there for the rest of the evening?"

"No," I muttered. "I'm on my way."

George turned around and walked back the way he had come.

 _You two sure know how to make a ghost feel welcome_ , a voice sounded in my room.

"Not you again," I groaned. "Can't you leave me alone?"

 _Yes…. little old me. And no, no I can't. What fun is there in that?_

I rolled my eyes and slumped back into bed. "Nothing happened," I mumbled, busing myself with a string that was on the end on my skirt.

 _Nothing? Nothing?! For God's sake, there was a boy in your room! Asleep might I add._

That was it. That was all I could take. I shot out of bed a closed the tap on the skull. It made a face of sincere disapproval and displeasure, but I didn't care. I swung open my bedroom door and quickly went downstairs to join the others.


	3. The Library

Chapter Three – The Library

The evening passed quickly, and before long, everyone had gone to bed. I stayed awake, restless. As hard as I willed sleep to come, it would not. Finally, I grew so weary of the skull contorting faces at me that I drew myself from bed and made my way downstairs. "Maybe a cheap novel will help me sleep," I said aloud. I entered the library and began looking at the shelves. Several books caught my eye, but I was suddenly not in the mood.

"Lucy?"

I whirled around to find Lockwood slumped in a chair. His legs were elegantly draped across the arm (as usual when I found him there). Although Lockwood is naturally quite pale, in the moonlight he resembled a visitor. Then, as I stared at him, I noticed that he had not slept that evening. He caught my gaze and quizzically looked at me.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I can't sleep. From the looks of it, you can't either."

"Ah," he sighed. "I tried, but I got even more tired from trying. You're right, I haven't been to bed."

Lockwood stood up and moved to the couch. He nodded at the seat beside him, and I sat down. "So, what's keeping you awake?" I asked.

"Just the usual nighttime thoughts. Mostly thoughts about you."

"Me?" I glanced over at him.

Lockwood nodded and stretched back. "Yes, you. Sometimes you worry me, without even meaning to. And then I think about all the things that could happen to you, and so on. So here I am."

He let out a slow, soft breath and looked at me. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. Lockwood put his arm around me and pulled me to him. We sat there, huddled on the couch. I shuddered. A draft had filled the room. Lockwood looked at me from underneath his bangs. I shivered again. In a single flourish, Lockwood drew a blanket from somewhere and covered us with it. He smiled down at me, a smile filled with warmth, friendship, and something else that I couldn't make out. A new characteristic of his smile shimmered in the moonlight. I curiously studied his face, noticing all of his striking features. The mole on his neck, his white smile. I even noticed a new freckle that had formed on his cheek. I brushed it with the tip of my finger. Lockwood's head nuzzled against my touch. In the time that I'd been studying his face, I hadn't not noticed that he had been watching me back. Lockwood's smooth hand brushed my cheek. He pulled me closer to him. Lockwood leaned forward, his face inches from mine. My heart started to pound, and I was suddenly afraid that he'd hear it. And then, almost without shifting, Lockwood's mouth was on mine. His lips were firm, yet soft, warm, yet they sent a chill coursing through my body. My right hand slowly moved to the back of his head, softly gripping his dark hair. Lockwood's hand found its way to my cheek once again and rested there. He drew himself back as a smile found its way to his face. The warmth of his smile sent all of my nighttime thoughts away. I smiled back.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment," Lockwood whispered.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, and he put a slim arm around me. All at once, sleep came, there on the couch in the library. I heard Lockwood let out a quiet breath, an almost inaudible sigh, as I drifted away on a cloud of sleep.


	4. The Blythe Estate

Chapter Four – The Blythe Estate

The next morning, I woke to a harsh, warm sunlight streaming in the windows of the library. The curtains had been drawn back, and I sat there blinking. Lockwood was nowhere to been seen. I slowly pulled myself from where I'd been resting. The blanket that Lockwood had produced last night drifted to the floor. I left the library, and headed back up to my room to shower and change. The skull immediately formed as I walked into the room. I made a face back, and turned on the water in the shower. It didn't take long for me to shower and dress, and soon after, I was making my way back downstairs. I entered the kitchen to find George and Lockwood sitting down to breakfast.

"Morning, Luce," Lockwood said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great. Thanks. How about you?" I smiled at Lockwood, and he grinned back.

"I slept very well." Another smile.

"So, Lucy," George began, "how did you wind up in the library? I could've sworn I saw you go to your room."

"Oh, I did. I just went down there to find a book and..." I trailed off. I grabbed a piece of toast from the steaming plate that George had just sat down.

"Anyway. We're heading to Bath today. We should start preparing for the trip and tonight," Lockwood hurriedly said.

"Yes, of course," George said. "Holly should be here soon. Back to you Luce, what were-" Lockwood cut him off. "I'll be at my desk if you need anything. Maybe practice with my rapier." He stood up, but continued speaking. "I don't know what I'll be doing, but I'll be down here." Lockwood swung open the basement door, disappeared below, and left George and me staring after him.

"What on earth! Why does he always do that?!" George ranted.

I shrugged. "I might head upstairs. Call if you need anything." I picked up my piece of toast and munched on it as I walked up to my room.

Noon passed, and by 1:15, we were on the train to Bath. We arrived about an hour and a half later and hopped into two cabs to ride the rest of the way to the Blythe Estate. I was tightly packed in the backside beside George, while Lockwood gave directions to the driver. In a separate cab were Holly Munroe and Quill Kipps, who had reluctantly come along with us. Although Kipps still worked for the Fittes agency, he had begun to go on cases with Lockwood and Co. We arrived at the main gate of the estate at three pm sharp and were met by the caretaker, Mr. Phillips.

"Hello. Are you the agents from London?" Phillips questioned.

"Yes," Lockwood replied, picking up his bag. "We're here to talk to Sir Blythe."

"Of course. Follow me. Oh no, please leave your bags, I'll be happy to grab them," Phillips said. His face shown a bright shade of…. grey. He looked 'extremely' happy to help. We started up the steps of the manor, when I caught a faint trace of whispers from the past.

"Lockwood," I murmured. He sidled up beside me, leaning in close. "I'm hearing things." He nodded. "Yeah?" he said. "There's a death glow that I saw through the window upstairs. It's a real whopper."

Phillips opened the great wooden door that relayed a sickening creak into the hall. The echoes of the past and present mingled, and I found it hard to distinguish between the two.

"Remember Lucy, we're just here to talk to Sir Blythe. We start the investigating tomorrow evening at the earliest," Lockwood said. I nodded. "Yeah, George was telling me that many of the records of anything happening here had been erased at the Archives," I replied.

Sadly, there's not much to report on the meeting with Sir Blythe because I wasn't there. He only met with Lockwood and, after a few minutes of heavily tense conversation, Kipps. Holly, George, and I were taken on a tour of the grounds. "Here we have the lake with the old corn mill."

"Corn mill?" George asked. "I wasn't aware of that."

My mind floated to the Wythburn mill incident. Horrible thoughts flooded my brain.

"Yes, a boy your age shouldn't be aware of _many_ things and yet you are," Phillips replied.

George rolled his eyes and looked at me. I smiled sympathetically.

Phillips concluded the tour, and we met Quill and Lockwood outside on the front steps. "How was it?" Holly asked, her eyes lingering on Quill. "Boring. A bloody history. Reports of incest, murder, and money. The usual." Holly's laugh sounded, a soft tinkling that everyone turned to. Lockwood raised a dark eyebrow. "Well," he began, "I suppose we should head to the nearest bed and breakfast. Where would that be George?" "Half a mile up the road the right. On the left-hand side," George replied. "Okay then. Let's go."

We arrived at the B&B at tea time, and after everyone settled in to their personal rooms, we all met downstairs. Thankfully, everyone was granted their own room, although we to share bathrooms. I appreciated being alone. I set the skull up on the miniature dresser in my room and went into the hall. My room was at the end of the corridor, across from Lockwood's room. Holly was to my right, and George and Kipp's rooms were across from Holly.

We all met downstairs and sat down to tea and a game of cards.

"So far, we've been somewhat successful," Lockwood commented. "We achieved our main goal of today, gathering some background information. 5, George?"

"Go fish," George said. "I'm still hurt that I couldn't be there. There should've been more than one brain in there. 8?"

"Ugh. Have it, Cubbins. And there was more than one brain in there. It was me and Lockwood," Kipps replied.

George sighed. "Yes. Lockwood. My point exactly – one brain."

Holly glared at George. Then she turned sympathetic eyes in Quill's direction. "Lucy, you have a 2?"

"Nope. Go fish. I didn't really care what I was doing. All I know is that it was cold inside and out. Do they even have heating? You have a 1, Lockwood?"

"Yes, actually. Here." As he passed the card to me, his hand brushed against mine. I blushed. Lockwood looked away.

"Yay," I said as enthusiastically as I could. "I win."

"What?!" George gasped. "But I was so close."

Kipps smirked, and Holly looked in his direction. I watched once again as their eyes locked. Hm. I'd have to ask her about that. It was growing steadily dark outside, and after a nice evening meal, we all retired to bed. The sheets of mine were stiff and cold. The room was already frigid, and I shivered. I began to doze off and was soon asleep.


	5. The Nightmare and After

Chapter Five – The Nightmare and After

"Run Lucy! Go get help!" a voice cried.

"Mr. Jacobs! Sir! We need help! Sir!" I yelled.

No answer. I couldn't leave them. I turned around to help my fellow agents when suddenly…. I woke up. I was sweating, and tears were streaming down my face. A nightmare, that was all. Just a nightmare. The images in my mind would not go away. I let out another sob. Then, unexpectedly, the door burst open to my room. I jumped and pulled my blanket up to my chin. I half expected it to be one of the agents who had died in the Wythburn Mill accident, but it wasn't. It was Lockwood.

"Lucy!" He quickly strode over to where I was huddled in a mop of sheets and gripped my arm. "Are you alright? I knew I had heard crying."

I shook my head in a response and flung my arms around his neck. Lockwood held me back, but soon pulled away to look at me. "What's wrong?" he asked. I shook my head a second time, this time to mean something else. I couldn't even begin to describe what I had just experienced. Lockwood sensed my continuing fear and pulled me to my feet. My legs were weak, and I felt sick. I would've fallen except Lockwood had kept a firm grip on my arm.

"Lucy. Can you stand?"

"No," I whispered. Lockwood's ears aren't as sharp as mine, but he'd heard what I said.

"Okay. Just hang on." He put his arm around my waist and moved his other arm under my legs. Suddenly, he swept me off my feet and into his arms. Lockwood nudged the door open with his foot and carried me into his room. He gently let me down onto his bed and closed the door. "What happened?" Lockwood asked.

I told him. I told him how on the tour of the Blythe Estate that Phillips talked about a mill and that I'd had Wythburn on my mind. I told him that I'd had a nightmare and that the images kept reoccurring. We sat in silence for a few moments until Lockwood turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. "You can stay here if you like." I nodded. "I'd like that."

Lockwood pulled back the covers, and I crawled under. Unlike my bed, Lockwood's bed was already warm, not to mention his warm figure pressed against me. I turned to look at him, and he looked back at me. Lockwood pressed his forehead against me for a little while until I rolled over. Lockwood put his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. The images of my nightmare were still in my head, but Lockwood's presence pushed them away. Lockwood put his other arm underneath the pillows that were under our heads and grasped my hand. His thin fingers laced themselves with mine, as I leaned back against him. For a third night in a row, I had wound up sleeping, in some way, next to Lockwood.

"Goodnight, Luce."

I sleepily turned to look at him. Lockwood kissed my forehead, his hand gently squeezing mine.

"Goodnight."


	6. Fun and Games

Chapter Six – Fun and Games

"Lucyyy," a voice called my name. I groaned. My body was stiff from the cold room. "Lucyyyy," it called again. I couldn't make out who it was calling me. The Skull? George? I didn't care. "Shut up!" I yelled, chucking a pillow in the direction of the noise. "Lucy!" the voice shouted. "I said shut -" That was my voice being muffled. All at once, a force had come down on the back of my head. My face, which had been pressed into a cool, white pillow, shot up and glared around the room. At the edge of the bed sat Lockwood, a separate pillow hanging loosely in his hands. He glanced at me, unsure of what I would do next. I can imagine my face looking somewhat angry, and Lockwood knew what that face meant. Even though he seemed a little worried, I saw a shimmer in his eyes that meant he was up for a challenge. I made my mind and decided that I'd be the one to tap into that side of him. Before Lockwood could even move, which was very unlike him given his quick reactions, I whipped the pillow out from underneath my head and brought it down on him. Lockwood sat there looking stunned until he took his pillow and held it up as if it were a shield. I kept pelting him with shockingly fast moves until he dropped his pillow and made a run for me. I squealed out in delight and started running around the room, attempting to evade Lockwood. His laughed sounded as I jumped over the bed. Suddenly, I was corned. I had nowhere to go, for it was a small room, so I decided that I would attack back.

A voice sounded on the other side of the room. _In for a penny, in for a pound. Go get him, Lucy!_ The skull! It was cheering me on. I was waiting for the catch. _If you take him down, we can finally have Skull and Co._ Ah. There we go.

I started sprinting towards Lockwood, yelling, "In coming!" I jumped at him, arms open wide, and he caught me! My legs were wrapped around his waist, my arms around his neck. Then Lockwood laughed again, wholeheartedly. "Lucy," he said. "I have a question." "Shoot," I said, still clinging to him, my feet a good little way from the ground. "Do you trust me?" he asked, dark eyes lingering on me. "Of course!" I replied. My quickness almost startled me, but I was too happy to care. "Okay," he said. "Good to know." And then, before I had time to reply he yelled, "Trust fall!" and started to fall backwards. Thankfully, we weren't too far from the bed, and we landed just on top of the comforter. I started to crawl away from Lockwood, giggling, but he grabbed my ankles and pulled me back. "Noooo," I pleaded. Another giggle. Lockwood laughed.

Then he said sharply, "Stand up." "Sir, yes, sir!" I immediately said while standing. I saw a smile of amusement flicker across his face, but it was replaced by a stony expression. "Stand at attention!" he shouted. I swept my hand up to my face in a salute. "Now jump," he said, warm expression returning. "What?!" I said. "Jump!" he cried, as I leapt off the edge of the bed and onto his back. I must say, it was the best piggy-back ride that I'd ever had, for after I'd planted myself on Lockwood's back, he took off running out of the room. We flew down the corridor and down the few stairs that put us back on the ground floor. Lockwood careened to a halt just in front of a small table…. where George, Holly, and Quill sat, ready to go. They were deep in conversation. "They should be down shortly," George said. "I spoke to Lockwood earlier and he said he'd be down soon, but I have no idea what Lucy is up to." Holly spoke, "I can go check on her if you'd like." She stood up, but Lockwood cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary. We're here."

All three of them turned to look at us. All three of them stared at us in astonishment. They hadn't realized that we'd been standing there. "I must say," George said breathlessly, "I knew you had some tight suits Lockwood, but I'd never thought you had tighter pajamas. Not to mention that you'd work in them." Suddenly, an expression bloomed across George's face that I'd only seen once or twice while working with him. An expression of pure embarrassment. For us. Lockwood laughed again, and I giggled. George's face grew even redder. "What on earth have you two been doing?" George asked, his face swept clean of expression. "Not a lot," Lockwood replied smiling. "I gave Lucy a nice wakeup call." Quill, who had been silent ever since our appearance that morning, spoke. "Lockwood. I think you might need to change." Kipps's face drew back in a grimace. Lockwood replied, "Of course. We'll be right back down."

Lockwood walked over to the stairs, carrying me on his back. I turned around to find all three of our friends staring after us, mouths hanging wide open. I gave a quick wave towards them as Lockwood began bounding up the stairs with me clinging onto him for dear life.


	7. The First Night

Chapter Seven – The First Night

Everyone got ready to venture back to the Blythe Estate. I wasn't terribly excited for investigating another mill, but what choice did I have? Later on, after doing a second walk through and speaking with Sir Blythe again (this time with all agents present), we began setting up for our first night.

And would you believe me when I told you that I was assigned to the mill for my first shift? Well, believe it, because it's true. We drew teams and assignments out of a hat. Quill, Holly, and Lockwood were first placed together until George made a semi-obvious point. "Lockwood? Don't you think that you and I should switch? See both you and Kipps have had experience with leading a group, and I think you should each be in separate groups," George stated. "I suppose you're right," Lockwood said, deep in thought. "So, you want me to join your team?" "No, no. I think it'd be simpler if we just switch," George replied. I stared at him. Why on earth had George suddenly wanted to be on Kipps team. The typical sarcasm rate would probably double! Lockwood scratched his chin. "Okay," he said. "Then it's set. We'll see you guys at 2 to switch stations. Just before he walked off, George turned around and winked at me. I was a little confused. What was he up to? I decided I'd ask him later. It wasn't the time.

"Ready, Luce?" Lockwood asked, his gaze resting on me.

"Yup!" I said, smiling. Lockwood grinned back and suddenly gave me a swift hug before walking off towards to lake. I was taken aback, but I followed him.

Upon reaching the mill, we first looked at it from the outside. All seemed pretty normal. It wasn't falling apart or anything. The mill seemed in good condition even though many other parts of the estate did not. Then, Lockwood and I walked to the entrance and stood in front of the door. The light from the evening sky had already started to disappear and soon things would begin to stir. "Would you do the honors, Lucy?" Lockwood casually asked. "Erm," I said, thinking. "Sure I guess" "It's okay if you don't want to, but –" "No. I got it." "I can." Both of us reached from the door knob at the exact same second. I reached it barely a second before Lockwood did. His hand rested on top of mine. We looked at each other. I shuffled my boots and blushed. Lockwood cleared his throat and looked away. Then he turned back to me, his eyes gleaming with excitement for the upcoming case. And then, the awkwardness faded. "Shall we?" he asked. A sheepish smile presented itself on his face. I reassuring smiled back. "Yes. Let's go." Then, we turned the doorknob, together. Our hands fell away, but somehow laced themselves together in a single instant. Lockwood and I looked at each other. He squeezed my hand. Just as the night sky began to lose the last of its light, we stepped into the mill, hand in hand.

First, we began taking readings. Lockwood went to the far wall, I stayed when the little light that was left shone all it could. Then, I closed the door. Darkness. I couldn't see a thing. It would take a while for my eyes to adjust. "You coming, Luce?" Lockwood called. He seemed so very far away. "I would be, except I can't see a thing," I called back. My voice echoed through the mill. "Hang on," Lockwood said. "I'll come get you." I stayed where I was. A slow feeling of terror started to overcome me. "Lockwood. Hurry." "I'm coming!" he called. "I see you. Stay where you are." "Okay," I mumbled. A creeping fear washed over me. I felt it all. Miasma, Malaise, Chill. And then, Ghost-Lock. At the end of the hallway to my left, shone a bright, spectral light. A figure stood there, its body mangled into a horrible contortion. I realized what had happened in the mill. Presumably, someone had gotten stuck in the machinery…and died. Fog swirled around my ankles as I realized that it was moving towards me. I couldn't move or react. The once slow pace of the Visitor had quickened to a dash. It was headed straight towards me. I heard the clang of metal and just before the Visitor reached me, Lockwood had intervened. He cut a ward knot in the air with his rapier, and the ghost vanished. And then, Lockwood was beside me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the center of the room where an iron circle was set up with a lantern just inside. "Are you okay, Lucy? I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner." "No, you came just in time. And yes…I'm fine." Lockwood's eyes locked on mine and scanned me to make sure that I was telling the truth. I shivered. The mill had grown significantly colder since my experience with the Visitor. I looked back at Lockwood. He was still gazing at me, concern evident on his face. "Here, Lucy, sit down." I sat, and Lockwood sat down very close to me. My entire body shuddered involuntarily. Lockwood took off his coat. "Here. Put this on." He handed his coat to me. When I didn't take it immediately, he draped it over the both of us. It wasn't a particularly large coat, but with Lockwood's slimness, we first underneath it just perfectly. And I was fine with being squished against him after what had happened over the past few days. He put his arm around my waist once again and pulled me to him. We sat underneath his coat for a long while until Lockwood turned to me.

"Hey, Luce?"

"Yup?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

There was a silence. "Well…I've been thinking a lot. About you. And I think it's time that I should tell you that…" he trailed off. "That I like you."

Even in the dim moonlight, I could see his hopeful eyes. They were eyes that expected nothing in return from me, but seemed relieved to have said it at last. At last, they lowered to his knees where his hands sat.

"Lockwood. I know. I feel the same."

"What?!" He said. "Did you George tell you?"

"No," I said, smiling. "I was saying I know what you meant. I like you, too. You told George?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. Erm, no. Well, yes. But it was an accident. He was questioning me and." Lockwood ran a frazzled hand through his hair.

I placed my hand on his and slowly interlocked fingers with his long, thin fingers. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Lockwood squeezed my hand. "All right. Thanks, Luce."

"Yeah. Anytime."

We both looked at each other at the same time. Our gazes met and locked. Then I leaned forward and planted a delicate kiss on his lips. After I sat back, I noticed Lockwood staring at me with a look of surprise on his face.

Lockwood grinned at me, his sheepishness had vanished. "We'll continue this later."

Then Lockwood and I stood up to deal with the case before us. A little bit of time passed. We had scanned the entire first floor. There wasn't anything of interest, just some storage places and an empty office area. We had moved to the second floor where a lot of the machinery was. A thick chain ran down from the ceiling to the floor. "Anything?" Lockwood asked? "Nothing," I replied. "Should you ask the skull?" he said. "I suppose so. Hang on. Cover me." Lockwood moved beside me and drew his rapier. There was certainly a presence near us, but it hadn't presented itself yet.

 _So, you want to use me?_ the Skull asked. It was oddly energetic and happy.

"Yes, please," I said.

 _On one condition._

"What's that?"

 _You must swear to tell me everything that has happened between you and Lockwood up to this point in time. I won't judge, I'm just curious._ The Skull's face drew back into a mischievous grin.

I thought for a moment. What was there to lose? It wasn't like it could tell anyone, and we really needed help at the moment. "Deal," I said. "When we get back to the inn."

 _Well. You were right in what you thought, Lucy. Someone died here. But you were incorrect in one thing. It was no accident._

I immediately told Lockwood what the ghost had said. "It wasn't an accident, Lockwood. We're talking about a murder victim."

"Hm. What do you suggest we do?"

"I suppose I could take a few readings."

"I don't know, Luce. Could be a bit risky."

"Since when have you cared about something being risky?" I asked.

"Since I realized that I had deep feelings for you. And since you told me that you do too. And since I noticed that I wouldn't be who I am without you. Just since then."

"All right. I get it. I'll be careful. Plus, you're here. Speaking of which, come here."

Lockwood walked over to where I was standing beside the machinery. I took off both of my gloves. When taking a reading, I typically only take off one glove. Lockwood knew this. He stared at me in confusion. "Hold out your hand." He did so. I stuffed my gloves in my pocket and took his hand. "Okay," I said. "If anything goes wrong, you'll know." I smiled. "Of course," he said. "Ready?" "Ready."


	8. The Escape

Chapter Eight – The Escape

Lockwood was squeezing my hand. "Lucy? Lucy!" I opened my eyes. "We need to leave. I figured out what the source is from what you told me, but we'll have to wait until morning to get it. This thing is not happy." I looked around. It looked like a tornado had whipped through the upstairs. Even Lockwood himself seemed to have been affected by the force had been raging in there. His shirt was untucked, the top button undone, and his hair was fiercely disheveled. "Lucy," he said again. "We need to go. Now." Lockwood and I ran out of the room. Our hands were still locked tightly together. We started to dash down the stairs, until my boot got caught in between two rotted floor boards. Lockwood did all he could to help me out, but it was no use. My foot was sincerely wedged. "Go get help. I can wait her," I said. "No way. I'm not leaving you," he said. "I've lost people over the years, Lucy, and I will not lose you." He tried again to wrench me from the crevice. A sickening creak sounded from the rotting staircase. It was beginning to give way. "This could either help us or make things a whole lot worse," Lockwood yelled. The mill had become very noisy. A thunderstorm was raging outside, not to mention the spectral noises that I heard. The staircase shifted again and suddenly my foot was free. Lockwood wasted no time dragging me down the stairs, his hand clasped tightly with mine. Just as we were about to leave, the Visitor formed at the end of the hall. The door wasn't far away, but if we didn't defend ourselves, we wouldn't make it. Lockwood threw a salt bomb and pulled me towards the door. He tripped on a small ledge in the doorway and went flying out into the grass where rain poured down. I didn't have time to slow down, so I shot out after him, landing neatly beside him. He got to his feet. Lockwood grabbed my hand and helped me stand.

"Let's go," he said. "They won't be back at the inn for probably another two hours, but I'm not willing to wait here."

Lockwood and I began walking back the way we had come. He put his coat over both of our heads as we walked back. A little bit later, we reached the iron gate and fence that lead to the in. The thunderstorm was still going on overhead, and Lockwood and I were soaked. I looked at him in the ghost-lamp's light. I remembered the first day I'd met him. As all of these thoughts flew through my mind, I hadn't realized that Lockwood had already put his mouth to mine. Once again, Lockwood was kissing me. He pulled me to him and kissed me again. I put my arms loosely around his neck and played with his hair. Lockwood kissed me a final time, before pulling away and taking my hand. He grinned. "So, was that what we were going to continue?" I asked. "Yes," he replied, nonchalantly. "And it's not over yet." Lockwood led me through the door of the inn where the lady at the front desk eyed us warily, partly because we were dripping all over her dry carpet. We mounted the stairs and traveled the whole way in a deep conversation. "Let me change, and I'll see you in a bit," Lockwood said. "All right," I replied. "Just knock." I closed my door and went to take a quick shower. Maybe twenty minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I had showered and dressed in a pair of lilac pajamas. They consisted of a thin, cotton shirt and a pair of leggings, both the same color. "Come in," I called. Lockwood peered around the door and then after seeing me, entered. His hair was damp. He stood a little while in the door way before saying, "I like those pjs, Luce. They really match your hair." He closed the door behind him and walked over to where I was standing. "Thanks," I said as I drew the curtains. Lockwood was in his typical nightwear. A pair of dark blue pajamas. Probably a wee bit too tight, but that was just his style. He smiled at me. I sat down on the bed, and Lockwood sat beside me. I propped myself up against a few pillows while Lockwood laid his head against me. "You know, Luce, I really like this thing we have going," he said. "Yeah. Me too." We talked for a little while until Lockwood suggested we read. "Read?" I asked. "Why not?" he said. "But I read last time, so it's your turn," he claimed. "Okay," I replied. Lockwood produced a book and slid underneath the covers of my bed. After the air conditioning kicked on, I did the same. Lockwood pressed up against me, his head leaning on my chest. We read for a little while until I heard a soft noise coming from Lockwood. I closed the book and peered down at him. He was fast asleep. I sat the book on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. I slid down further underneath the covers and clung to Lockwood. I could barely make out his feature in the dark, but I brushed his dark hair across his forehead. Lockwood didn't stir. "I love you," I whispered, grasping his hand in the dark. Silence. There was movement to my left. A hand squeezed mine. "I love you, too, Luce."


	9. The Job

Chapter Nine – The Job

I woke up to light streaming in the windows of my room. I slid out of bed and pulled open the curtains. Below me, Bath was bustling with people, its streets busy. After a final glance, I walked over to the bathroom to take a quick morning shower. It'd help me wake up, but also, I'd be able to make my hair somewhat more presentable that the mop that it was. I shut the door and turned on the water. I undressed and slipped into the shower. The water heater must've had something wrong with it, for the water slipped between freezing and scalding. I enjoyed every minute of it. I stepped out of the shower glaring around. I'd had better showers in my life. I realized that I'd left my clothes outside so I opened the bathroom door to go get them. While I dug through my bag, my towel slowly began to fall. I jerked it up every now and then, but then I'd lose my progress finding my clothes. Just as my hand grasped my skirt I heard some speak behind me. "Might wanna pull that up, Luce. I don't know or anything, but I'm just saying."

I whirled around to find Lockwood propped up in bed. Before I said anything, my eyes shot to a dark bruise on his forearm. The area around it was somewhat swollen and was marked with several cuts.

"What the hell is that?!" I questioned.

Lockwood looked down and shrugged. He hadn't noticed how angry I was. "Nothing. Just a scratch that I got when you were Listening. Nothing serious," he coolly replied.

I was practically seething. "Nothing? Nothing?!" I yelled.

"Lucy, calm down. I'm fine."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't look fine. You could've been seriously injured."

"Come here," he said. I shuffled over to where Lockwood was and sat beside him. He pulled me against him and put his chin on my head. "Lucy, I'm the one who should be worried about you, not the other way around." I sat up.

"You don't actually think it works like that, do you?" I asked. "I've always worried about you. You through yourself into danger without a second thought. And then when you are hurt, you don't tell me. How do think that makes me feel?" I pulled away. My eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, Lucy. I'm sorry. Don't cry. Please." I looked at him, but it was too late. Tears were already streaming down my face. "No, Lucy. I'm sorry." Lockwood put a hand to my face and brushed off a tear. He hugged me and didn't let go for a little while. I sniffled. "I shouldn't have said that. You have a right to be worried about whatever you chose," he said. He let go and sat back to look at me. "How 'bout this," he said. "You go change, and then we can go downstairs and have breakfast. Maybe a hot chocolate?"

Change? Oh no. I realized that I was still in my towel. Lockwood noticed my embarrassment and grinned. "It's okay, Lucy. Don't worry about it."

"All right," I said, still blushing. "I'll be right out." I stood up, grabbed my clothes, and went into the bathroom to change.

I changed as quickly as I could. As I was slipping on the final piece, there was a knock on the adjacent door. I had forgotten that Holly and I were sharing a suite. Our rooms were connected by the bathroom. I buttoned my skirt and opened the door. Holly looked at me. "Lucy, thank goodness," she said.

"Holly, are you alright?" I asked. She looked like she hadn't been awake very long. Her hair was tangled and she was still in her pajamas.

"Of course. Is Lockwood still with you?"

"Lockwood? Oh, yes. He's in my room."

"Okay," Holly said as she opened the door wider to step into the bathroom. "I suppose I'll be honest with you, not that I ever haven't, but this isn't something I'd normally do. Quill. Err, I mean Kipps spent the night in my room." I stared at her. My mouth fell open.

"I knew it! I knew something was going on!" I yell-whispered. I still had to be quiet.

"Yes, yes. I'll explain when we return to Portland Row, but for now, I need your help."

Another voice sounded, "Lucy? Are you done? I thought we'd head on down."

Lockwood.

Holly glanced around nervously.

"Yeah! Just finishing up. I'll be right out," I replied coolly.

"Okay! I'll, um, do something. Just come when you're ready. Yeah, bye," Lockwood said through the door.

"Lucy. I need you to keep Lockwood busy while I get Quill back to his room. His clothes are in there, and he took a shower in here. Lockwood would notice that he's showered, but hasn't changed. Neither of us can afford to have that happen. My mom would go crazy if she knew."

I shuddered at the thought of Quill in the shower that I'd used, but I pushed it away. Holly needed my help, and I wanted to help. "Sure. I can do that. What about George?"

"George is down stairs already. He got donuts from down the street and is playing cards with other people here at the inn. He shouldn't be a problem. You know how he is with food."

"All right. I'll go distract Lockwood for a while. Knock three times on my door when you've finished. How long do you think it will take?" I asked.

"Barely five minutes."

"Okay. Good luck."

Holly smiled at me. She gave me a swift hug. "Thanks, Lucy. I knew you'd help." Then, she disappeared back into her room.

"Lucy?" Lockwood asked.

"Coming!"


	10. A Distraction

Chapter Ten – A Distraction

I opened the bathroom door and walked out. Lockwood was sitting at the end of the bed with his legs crossed and was humming. I recognized the tune. It had been in a movie that the five of us had watched at Portland Row. We had a case that night, but it was cancelled due to the owner having prior arrangements that he forgot about. So, we had nothing else on the schedule and we all sat at home watching a movie. Yes, Quill Kipps had been there, too. He'd sat by Holly as a matter of fact.

I cleared my mind. I needed to focus. I tiptoed over to where Lockwood was. I stopped directly behind him and tried to quiet my breathing. Even though I had a job to do, I was not doing it solely for Holly. I put my arms around Lockwood's neck and leaned my head against him. He turned around in surprise. "Hey, Luce." Lockwood smiled warmly at me. "Hi!" I replied. "What's up?" he asked. "Nothing…" I said. "Really now?" he questioned. "Yup." I crossed over to the other side of the bed. Lockwood watched me as I climbed onto the bed. I hadn't put on any shoes, which was good for what I was about to do. I beckoned for Lockwood to join me on the bed. He pulled off his boots and stood up. "Whatcha doing?" Lockwood asked. "You'll see."

I pulled him upright and said, "On the count of three, jump." Lockwood didn't question me or say anything, but he smiled. A familiar twinkle presented itself in his eyes. "One…Two…Three…Jump!" Now, the beds at the inn where we were staying were quite bouncy. I held onto Lockwood as we bounced into the air. Then, we came flying down and landed on the bed. Due to his height, Lockwood landed first. Since we were still holding hands, he accidentally pulled me down on top of him. We laid on the bed, sprawled out in the center. "You all right, Lucy?" Lockwood asked. "I've never been better," I replied, grinning. Lockwood laughed for a second time in the past two days. His laugh was wholehearted and full. It was one that I didn't hear very often. Lockwood gazed at me. I dark eyes held mine. I found my chance. I leaned forward, still on top of Lockwood, closed my eyes, and kissed him. Lockwood moved both of his hands to my face. One tucked a lock of hair behind my ear while the other held firm on my cheek. Lockwood pulled me even closer, and I pressed up against him. Lockwood and I hardly separated, and when we did, it was for air. At last, I pulled away from him and laid my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and constant, like Lockwood's personality. I lifted my head to look at Lockwood. He smiled at me. Just as I unexpectedly had kissed him, Lockwood pulled a move too. He began tickling me. I cried out with joy. I tried to escape, but Lockwood wouldn't have it. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. "Don't move," he teased. I put my hands above my head as Lockwood released me onto the covers. I was laying down on the top of the bed with Lockwood directly above me. I giggled, and Lockwood laughed. "I can't be serious with you!" he cried. I started laughing. I couldn't stop either. I'm not quite sure what was so funny. Maybe it was Lockwood struggling to be serious, or me being under arrest. Either way, I found it hilarious. Lockwood joined in. I think he found me laughing to be funny. After a while, I quieted down and laid against Lockwood. He began to play with my hair.

"Do you know how to braid, Lucy?"

"No. I never learned."

"I could teach you sometime."

I stared up at him. "You know how to braid?!" I asked.

He laughed, but there was hesitation in it. "Yes. Jessica taught me once. I've never forgotten," Lockwood said. He fell silent, but continued twirling my hair around his thin fingers. "I'm glad I have you, Luce. I'm glad that we're here together."

"Me too," I said. I leaned against him. Lockwood took my hand and laced his fingers with mine.

"Lucy?" Lockwood asked.

"Yes?" I said, looking up at him.

His dark eyes met mine. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too."

We sat there in a comfortable silence for a while until it was broken by three sharp knocks on the door. "Lucy?" a voice called through the door.

"Yep?" I called back.

"We're ready when you are."

"Okay. We'll be right out." I stood up. Lockwood followed suite. We both put our shoes on and walked towards the door. Just as I was closing and locking the door to my room, Lockwood took my hand and held it. He gave it a sharp squeeze of affection as we walked down the hall, hand-in-hand, into the lobby below.


	11. Leap of Faith

Chapter Eleven – Leap of Faith

To begin with, Lockwood and I went to wrap up our case at the mill on the Blythe Estate. "How'd you figure out what the Source is?" I asked him as we walked. Our hands were loosely linked together.

"You told me. Remember?"

"No," I said.

"Hm. Well that's weird. We had a conversation. Anyway, you told me that when you touched the machinery you heard voices. Three to be exact. Apparently, two guys had noticed that the foreman had been stealing money from Sir Blythe's grandfather, and they confronted him. So, the foreman got angry and pushed the smallest one into the cogs."

I shuddered. The story was gruesome to say the least, but I was more worried that I couldn't recall talking to Lockwood about it. "It's great that we know the back story, but that doesn't explain how you know where the Source is."

"Lucy, you're really worrying me. You're the one who told me what the Source is."

"Really?" I asked. "I suppose we can talk about this later. Just tell me what happened."

"Well, you said that when the foreman pushed the worker in, you heard voices that said, 'Go get help, Sam. He fell in.' Anyway, the foreman acted like the worker had fallen in and this Sam yelled, 'There's no time.' That's when I noticed a golden pocket watch hanging in a high part of the machinery. The foreman's sole worry was time. There was never enough time for him."

"Like time is money," I said, thinking out loud.

"Yeah. I thought that, too. He was stealing money. I suppose when the worker 'fell in' the foreman lost his pocket watch. It's not the worker's ghost that's linked to it, but the foreman's."

"Maybe the other worker killed the foreman after his friend died."

"It's possible. Anyway, that's the Source."

"Okay. You think they missed it when cleaning up?"

"That's exactly what I think."

"Let's go and seal it."

Lockwood and I walked the remainder of the way to the mill. Upon arriving, Lockwood opened the door and walked in first. "In normal circumstances, I would have let you go ahead of me, but after last night and your sudden forgetfulness, I'm worried about you."

I smiled at him. "I'm fine, Lockwood."

"I know you are. I'm not particularly worried about you, per se. I'm worried what might happen to you."

Before entering, I took a look inside the mill. It looked as if a tornado had swept through it. The entire staircase had collapsed on the floor from the spectral force. A thin layer of dust had coated the wooden floorboards and the plaster on the walls had begun peeling. The mill had most certainly seen better days. "Come on in, Luce. It's all clear." I stepped inside and moved beside Lockwood. "Let's find a way upstairs," he said. It turned out that the small staircase in the main foyer was the only staircase, so Lockwood and I had to pull ourselves up to the second floor. We moved two large crates on top of one another and stood on them. From there, we jumped onto the landing. My foot slipped as I landed, but Lockwood caught my arm. He winked at me. "In here," Lockwood beckoned. I followed him. We reached the main area where the machinery was based, and there, high up in the cogs, hung a golden pocket watch. "I can get it," I said. Lockwood glanced at me with unsure eyes, until I shot him a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful. I promise," I said.

I scampered up the machinery. Well, scampered makes it sound easy. I had to do a lot of crawling and bending while Lockwood waited below. The worst part of it was where I had to fit through a small space. At first, I simply tried to walk through. I hadn't noticed its slimness, nor had I thought about my hips. My hips. My weakness and my disability. It took me quite a while to figure out how to fit my hips through the gap. I turned around to find Lockwood's dark eyes on me. He watched casually with obvious amusement. "You're almost there, Luce. Just a few more feet." I nodded and pushed my way through the tight space. I jumped up onto a separate platform and stood directly below the watch. I took the silver net that I held in my hand and wrapped it around the Source. Even in broad daylight, the watch was freezing to the touch. I finished sealing it and turned around to go back the way I had come. It was at that moment that I realized that I couldn't get back to the area below me. It was one thing jumping up to where I was, but jumping down was a whole separate issue. If I tried it, I'd either hit my head on the ceiling, or miss the platform while minding my head and fall into the machinery below.

"Lucy!" Lockwood called. "I think you're going to have to go a little further up. I see a way down if you can get up to that catwalk. You see it?"

"Yeah," I called back. "I'll try it." I maneuvered my way up to the catwalk, but abruptly stopped when I reached a dead end. It was a little ledge with a straight shot off. There was no way I was going to try that. "Lockwood?" I yelled. "I can't get down this way."

"Sure ya can."

"Is this the way you were talking about?" I asked.

"Yup. You'll be fine. Just jump"

Jump? It was at least twenty feet to the ground, not to mention the wooden planks that waited below. "Lockwood, I don't think I can do that."

"Yes. You can. I'll catch you."

It's not like I weighed a lot, but with the momentum I'd be gathering, I was nervous.

"Lucy, jump!"

Without a second, or more likely third thought I said, "Here goes," and jumped off the ledge.

I fell through the air and into Lockwood's open arms. He caught me. He actually caught me and didn't miss a beat. "You alright, Luce?"

"Yeah," I said. "Fine."

"Great," Lockwood said, eyes shimmering. "I knew you could do it." He grinned at me.

Lockwood casually slipped his arm around my waist and we walked back to the landing. He helped me down onto the crates that we had set up and onto the ground floor. Lockwood opened the door and shut it behind us. "Shall we head back to find the others?" he asked me. "Sure," I said, slipping my fingers through his. Lockwood gave my hand a squeeze as we began walking back, laughing and talking, with one part of the case done.

Hey guys! Annie here. What other fanfics should I write? I'm beginning a second Lockwood and Co. one, which will be published quite soon. If you guys like this one, please leave a review and tell me how ya feel. I'm loving writing it so far, and I have great plans for it. See ya! ~Annie


	12. Together

Chapter Twelve – Together

Lockwood and I walked for a little while on the Blythe Property, hand in hand. We were in no particular rush to find the others, and I was really enjoying spending time with Lockwood. He led me over to a shady area underneath an oak tree. We laid down on the grass that was sprinkled with morning dew. We had only been away from the inn for little over an hour. Lockwood sat back against the tree, and I spread out in the grass. Above us, thousands of leaves provided a cool shade. I looked at Lockwood. He leaned against the trunk of the oak, eyes closed, hands clasped. He looked very relaxed. Lockwood. He was so handsome, especially when he had no one to impress or anything to prove. Suddenly, Lockwood opened his eyes and, after finding me gazing at him, grinned. "Yes?" he asked. I felt my cheeks turn red. I busied myself with a clover that was growing beside my boot. Lockwood moved and laid down beside me. I turned to look at him. Lockwood was intently staring at me and moved a hand to my face. He gently placed it on my cheek and started to stroke my face with his slim index finger.

Someone cleared their throat. We both looked up to find George hovering over us. He had a mischievous smirk on my face. "You're quite lucky I'm me and not Holly or worse, Kipps." Lockwood sat up and lifted his gaze to George as if nothing had happened. "Well George, how have you faired? Case-wise I mean," Lockwood said. "Oh. We've done fine. Maybe after we go join Holly and Kipps I'll be inclined to tell you. But no funny business." He gestured in a glance to Lockwood and my hands which hovered closely near one another. "Actually, I'll solve that problem myself since you two have decided to become unclueless while we're out on a case." George moved in between Lockwood and me and linked arms with us.

"There," he said. "Oh, and Lockwood, I've been meaning to ask you something." Lockwood opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted, rudely might I add, by George. "Since you and Lucy are sharing a room now, does that mean we can stop paying for the other one? It's quite expensive, you know, and it wouldn't hurt to save a little money."

I stared in astonishment at George. Had he really just said that? Yes, he had. Lockwood's face was wiped clean of expression, but that quickly changed. He grinned at George and me. "I suppose so," he said. "What do you think about that?" I glared at him. I couldn't stand the fact that they were egging each other on. I cleared my mind and thought. I did like Lockwood, and Lockwood did like me. I suppose it wouldn't be bad sharing a room. George had a point. We could do with saving the money. "Sure!" I said. "George has a point." Lockwood looked at me. I saw a wave of surprise wash across his face until it was replaced with excitement. "Great," he said. "Now that that's settled, let's go find Holly and Kipps." George released the two of us from his arms, and Lockwood moved to walk beside me. "Thanks, Lucy," Lockwood said. "For what?" I said. "For being you," he replied, eyes sparkling. He slipped his hand through mine as we went to find the rest of our crew.


	13. A Lucky Night

Chapter Thirteen – A Lucky night

Ever heard the tale that the number thirteen is an unlucky number? Well, if you haven't, many people believe that the number thirteen is cursed or gives bad luck. Due to this short definition, I have decided to number this chapter thirteen. I think it passes as both lucky and unlucky, but maybe you can tell me? You'll find out why quite soon.

We all arrived back at the inn together. That night, we didn't have any plans because we wanted to thoroughly research the particular Revenant and its area before encountering it. We scheduled that for the next day. After arriving at the inn, we had a light supper, played a few rounds of cards and headed upstairs. Not everyone was planning on going to bed. George was going to look at some Rotwell product that had failed him the night before and try to figure out what was wrong with it. Holly and Kipps went to one room while Lockwood and I headed to mine. Yes, to answer any questions that you might have, Holly and Quill were sharing a room. I mean why not? It was saving money.

Lockwood was the first one to change in the bathroom, and he did so quite quickly. Soon, he reappeared in his dark blue pajamas with a book in hand. He flapped it around so to ensure that I would notice it. I nodded and said, "Let me change first." Lockwood smiled and hopped up to his place on the bed. Before entering, I knocked on the bathroom door. No answer. I slowly eased it open to find it empty, thankfully. I was in no mood to walk in on Quill Kipps, or even Holly for that matter. The adjacent door was cracked and after I changed, I thought it'd be a good idea to ask Holly if she wanted the shower in the morning. I knocked on the door. "Come in," a voice called. I couldn't make out who it was, but I opened the door and began to walk in. There, in the bed, sat Quill Kipps. Shirtless. "Holly," he began. "I thought we'd –" he broke off. Kipps had noticed me. He stared at me. I stared at him. Neither of us moved. Suddenly, to my right, a door swung open, revealing Holly, heavy-laden with a lot of laundry. "I did a load of clothes. So now your work wear is clean," she said. Then she noticed me. I stared at the both of them, eyes bugging. "Lucy!" Holly said. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were in here." I ran out of the room and slammed the door behind me.

I stood in my room, leaning against the bathroom door. Lockwood was eyeing me curiously. "What on earth just happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I might as well have," I replied. Kipps was a red head. Light-haired and fair-skinned. Shirtless. White chest. UGH! I had seen horrible things in my time with Lockwood and Co., but that one beat most. Sitting in that bed, he looked like a ghost. I forced the thoughts out of my mind.

"Lucy," Lockwood said. "Come sit down."

I told him what had happened. "It was Kipps. In the bed."

"Well, I'm here, in this bed. There must've been something special about him that scared you so much."

"Well, yeah, but Lockwood…"

"Spill it," he said, grinning.

"He was shirtless."

At first, Lockwood looked annoyed. "It wasn't my fault," I began. I was suddenly interrupted by Lockwood's laugh. He was radiating with laughter. I'd never seen him find something so funny before. Lockwood reached out and clenched my arm to steady himself. He began wiping tears from his eyes. "Is that all?" he asked, still chuckling.

"Yes," I scowled.

"Well, I can do that, too, if you want." He grinned.

"What?" I asked, but it was too late. He'd found his chance. Lockwood was already unbuttoning his dark blue night shirt. After removing it, he folded it and threw it on a chair where his luggage sat.

I smiled. I'd seen Lockwood shirtless once or twice in knowing him. Those rare occasions usually occurred when he'd just gotten out of the shower or when he couldn't find a specific shirt that he wanted to wear. But never anything like this. I looked at him. Lockwood pulled me closer to him and started talking. "So, Holly and Quill are a thing now?" he asked. "I guess so. At least from what I can tell." Lockwood raised a dark eyebrow. There was a thump from the other side of the wall. George's room. "Oh goodness. I sure do hope he doesn't burn this place down," Lockwood said. I laughed, and Lockwood smiled down at me. "You tired?" he asked. "Most definitely," I said. Lockwood reached over and turned off the lamp. I snuggled down against his warm, slim body. Lockwood wrapped both of his arms around me. I turned around and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight, Lockwood."

"Goodnight."


	14. Interrupted

Chapter Fourteen – Interrupted

I woke the next morning to someone shaking me. Lockwood? Sadly, no. Holly. "Lucy, it's time to get up," she said.

"What?" I sat up and looked around. There at the end of the bed perched Holly. For another day in a row, she didn't quit look her normal self. Her hair was pulled back into a stylish bun, but there was something odd about her. She seemed unsure of herself.

"The boys went and picked up some donuts. They're waiting for us downstairs when you're ready."

"Okay," I said. I quickly got changed, ran a rushed comb through my hair, and began pulling on my boots.

"Lucy?"

"Hm?"

"About last night. I'm so sorry. I told Quill that something like that would happen."

"Oh, don't worry about it," I replied. "All's forgotten."

"That's the thing," Holly said. "I have no idea what's happening. At first, we were just friends, until this case. Quill, err… Kipps kissed me yesterday, and I don't know what to do."

"Oh," I said. "You want my help?" I was somewhat surprised.

"Yes. You've kissed someone before, right?"

I smiled, "Just Lockwood."

"Well, what was it like?" she asked.

"Um, I don't know. It just happened. But I remember the feeling after. It was like nothing else mattered. I felt so carefree and happy. I'd never kissed anyone before and it was just…" I trailed off.

"I was hoping there was going to be something at the end of that sentence, Luce. I guess I'll never know."

Holly and I both whirled around to find Lockwood casually leaning in the door.

"How long have you been here?" I asked. My voice was low, barely audible.

"Long enough," he said.

I looked at Holly. Holly looked at me. I felt my cheeks go red for the millionth time that week. "Might I escort you two downstairs?" Lockwood asked.

"Sure," I replied.

"Great," he said, eyes twinkling.

Holly and I both stood up and walked to the door. Lockwood moved aside and winked at me as I passed. He locked the knob and turned to us. "If you two are ready, let's go." The three of us walked down the stairs. Lockwood to my left, Holly to my right. As we turned the corner, Holly walked ahead and Lockwood slipped his hand through mine.


	15. Separated

(Sorry that it's taken so long. I've been quite busy, but enough with the excuses. Here it is. I'm posting another chapter directly after this one to make up for my absence. I promise to put all of my attention towards this for the upcoming week. On the subject of me being busy, I wrote two other fanfics about Lockwood and Co. Go check em out! Once again, I'm so sorry to keep everyone waiting. See ya & Happy Reading! ~Annie)

Chapter Fifteen - Separated

"Everyone ready?" Lockwood asked.

We all nodded. In all truthfulness, I never really ready for anything like this. The afternoon sun was shifting to dusk. We all waited on the front porch of the Blythe Mansion. Sir Blythe and Mr. Phillips had both left the property. We were alone. In his hand, Lockwood held the master key. It would open each and every room that we desired access to.

Lockwood slowly opened the door and admitted us to the front foyer. I had been in the house before, but I'd never noticed the architecture. A grand staircase loomed up above us. The walls were made of a thick stone. The air was frigid even through my parka. I took out my wool hat and pulled it on.

"Okay," Lockwood said. "Let's split up and see what we can find. George, you and Lucy can go together. Holly, Quill and I can be a team."

"Actually," George said. "I really enjoyed working with Kipps. Would you mind if I went with them again?"

Lockwood looked stunned. "Um, yeah. Sure. That's fine. Luce, you're with me. We'll stay downstairs. George, keep us updated. If there's any super unnatural phenomena, let us know."

George nodded and the three of them turned and began to walk up the stairs. Lockwood and I decided to begin our hunt in the downstairs library. There, Lockwood saw a minor death glow. Maybe someone had passed peacefully. It wasn't until around three am when everything started happening. Lockwood and I were heading up the stairs when we were met by a frantic George, Holly and Quill.

"Run!" George yelled. Lockwood and I obeyed without any questions. He understood that when George was afraid of something it was seriously wrong. We all gathered in the library downstairs due to the lack of Visitors in that section. "It was horrible," George began. "There was the ghost of a servant girl who had died. The source is…her front tooth. It's wedged in between two steps. I tried to free it, but I couldn't. Then, she started attacking us. Horrible. Absolutely horrible."  
I didn't sound that bad to me. It noticeably didn't frighten Lockwood. He started to ask a question, but was cut off by George. "Lockwood. I'd rather not go into detail at this moment. Let's just say, I won't be eating prunes for a _very_ long time."

The five of us decided on switching spots. Lockwood and I agreed to take care of the ghost-girl while George and the others took up refuge downstairs. "This shouldn't be too bad, Luce," Lockwood said as we were nearing the servant's quarters.

"Yeah," I replied. "We'll be fine."

The chill had strengthened as we drew closer to the source of the haunting. I went to pull my hat down further over my head until I realized that it wasn't there.

"Lockwood, I left my hat downstairs. I'm going to go get it."

"Sure, Luce," he replied.

"Lockwood?"

"Mhm?"

"Do not do anything until I get back. Promise?"

Silence.

"Promise?" I said again.

"Promise."

I flew through the hallway and down the stairs. It seemed to take me ages to reach the library, but when I did, I was startled to hear screaming. Holly. What was on the other side of the library wall? The armory. Oh no. That could be bad, but I ignored my urge to run and went to help. I kicked open the door and there, in the center of the room, was a humongous ghost. Remember the Ealing Cannibal? Guppy? This ghost was almost his size. Upon further inspection, I noticed that he looked a good deal like Sir Blythe. I pushed the thoughts from my mind as my eyes caught sight of Holly. She had been blown against the wall. She laid delicately on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her dark hair matted down with a sticky substance. No. It couldn't be. I saw George fiercely swinging his rapier, but it proved to no avail. Kipps had completely disappeared. I saw a suit of armor gently rocking back and forth. Suddenly it sprang to life. Then, just as I was stepping into the room, a strong blast of plasm and spectral force broke against me. I was sprawling into the hallway. Then, the door to the armory creaked shut. I was locked out.

Lockwood had the master key. He was upstairs. Not to mention his amazing rapier skills. I needed him. _They_ needed him. I flung myself up the stairs, three at a time. "Lockwood!" I shouted. No answer. I reached for the servants' door. It was also locked. "Lockwood?"

Nothing. I waited in silence. A spreading sick feeling flooded my stomach. My mind seemed to shut down for a moment before springing back to life.

"Lucy?" a voice called. I sighed with relief. He was alive. The voice sounded weak, damaged.

"Lockwood, open the door."

"I can't Lucy."

"Come on, Lockwood. I need to get in here."

"No, Lucy." Pause. "It's time for me to go."

"Go?" I asked. "Go where?"

"Goodbye, Lucy. Tell George that he's in charge. Although that might be a little dangerous. I guess you can be…" the voice trailed off. No. What had happened?

"Lockwood! Come on!"

For a second time, silence engulfed the landing.

"ANTHONY LOCKWOOD, YOU HAD BETTER ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!"

No reply. My stomach churned with fear. That was it. I couldn't take the emotional strain. I took a deep breath and, with an amazing, yet fierce burst of force, kicked the door down.


	16. Life or Death

Chapter Sixteen - Life or Death

The wooden door slammed hard onto the ground. It sent a wave of dust rolling across the floor…and onto Lockwood. He laid in the center of the floor. His eyes were closed. I was too late. I couldn't do anything to save him. A fierce blue glow washed over his face, pausing on his cheek. Ghost-touched. I let out a cry and ran over to where he lay. Upon kneeling down, the blue pigment of his skin disappeared. I was blocking the window. It was only the moon casting a colored ray onto Lockwood. Then, I saw his chest rise slightly. I sensed him breathing. Lockwood was alive. I knew that I needed to get him out of the haunted zone, but with him being unconscious, I couldn't have done it on my own. The tension of the room was steadily building. Lockwood needed to be protected. I worked quickly, laying thick iron chains around him. I set a lantern beside Lockwood in the center of the circle. That was it. He'd be safe as long as he remained inside the chains.

So, I knew where the source was. It was a small front tooth wedged in the staircase at the back of the room. If I could secure myself, I could get the source and shut down the haunting. I scattered salt all around the staircase and put bits of iron on the step. I didn't expect for them to do much. I took out my crowbar and slowly began to work with the step.

 _How's it going, Lucy?_

I whirled around. "Who's there?!"

 _Oh, calm down. It's me._

The skull. I was alright. Lockwood hadn't moved. We were okay. "Hey, Skull? Can you let me know when the girl is in the room?"

 _I would if I could, Lucy. I would if I could._

"And, why can't you?"

 _She's already here._

It was right. The tension in the room had crescendoed to its highest. I looked up to the top of the stairs, and there she was. The Visitor was a Shining Girl. In normal circumstances, I would've done the Lucy Carlyle Formula™, but I was more worried about Lockwood and I getting out safely. The girl hadn't noticed me until I accidentally dropped my crowbar. Her dark eyes flickered in my direction.

 _Oops,_ said the skull.

The Visitor began to float down the stairs. I immediately stood and took a defensive position beside Lockwood. I refused to let her touch Lockwood. All at once, she forced herself in my direction. With a clang, I drew my rapier. I swung it at her. A burst of plasm. She was gone. I frantically picked up my crowbar and began hacking up the bottom of the staircase. The floorboards started to bust. A flash of white. The tooth flew across the room. Then, the apparition reappeared. I threw myself back towards Lockwood. I unseen force had pushed the chains apart and into an odd angle. Lockwood was unprotected. The Visitor began spouting plasm everything. I flung myself on top of Lockwood. I covered his body with my coat. It was at this moment that Lockwood woke up. I didn't notice at first, but when Lockwood's body moved, I was worried that the Visitor had grabbed him. She hadn't. I had resealed the opening in the chains. Lockwood was conscious.

"Hey Luce."  
I was startled, to say the least. I looked down at him. His eyes were open wide, and his dark gaze rested on me. Our faces were inches away from each other. When I didn't say anything, Lockwood lifted his hand and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Well, this is cozy."

"Um, yeah," I agreed.

I slid off of him, but Lockwood pulled me back. "Careful, Lucy. You almost went outside of the circle."

I nodded and shifted my position. Lockwood put his arms around my waist. I leaned against him. For another time in the past few months, I was in a situation where Lockwood and I were in a semi-uncomfortable position.

"Lockwood, the Source isn't in the steps anymore. Should we go find it?"

"Sure. How about you go and find it while I watch your back?"

"Sounds good."

We both shuffled awkwardly as we got to our feet. Lockwood maintained his hand's position, although it tightened around my waist as we stood. After surveying the area, I watched the ghost. When nothing happened, we slowly snuck over to where the tooth had flown.

"Okay, Luce. You can go ahead and start looking," Lockwood whispered. "I got this."

I nodded and walked over to where I had seen the tooth fall. There it was, in between two floor boards. How would I get it out? I thought for a moment before saying, "Lockwood, do you have your knife?" He always carried one, or something like it.

"Yeah. Catch." In the blink of an eye, Lockwood had pulled out his knife and tossed it to me. In his right hand, he held his rapier, ready to defend in case of a sudden attack.

I caught the knife and began chiseling at the floorboard. The tooth shifted. I was close. I forced the knife down farther until, at last, the tooth popped out. I picked it up just as the Visitor flung herself at Lockwood. Even though he was acting normal, I could tell that Lockwood was somewhat off-balance due to hitting his head. He didn't react quickly enough, but I was just in time to cover the tooth with a small iron net. The Visitor wavered, blinking out, and was gone.

Lockwood smiled over at me in relief. I stood up and walked over to him. "Thanks, Luce." Then, due to both exhaustion and physical affliction, Lockwood collapsed into my arms. I did my best to keep him up straight, but his legs had given out. I wrapped my arm around the lower part of his back and tried to hold on. It wasn't working. Then, my mind flew to George, Holly, and Quill. Lots of time had passed since my experience witnessing them in the armory. I hoped that they were all okay. I realized that both Lockwood and I needed to get downstairs fast. I bent down and lifted Lockwood onto my shoulder. Although he was tall, Lockwood was thin and he didn't weigh too much. He didn't speak, squirm, or even protest. Lockwood just let me carry him on my back. I quickly began to descend the stairs, careful not to jolt Lockwood too much. I then sat him down in the library, placed a protective circle around him, and got out my thermos of tea. I handed it to him. Lockwood received it willingly and took a grateful sip.

"Don't move. I'll be back soon," I called as I jogged from the room.

The armory was in the East Wing, whereas the library was in the West. I did my best to make good time, but it took me a full five minutes to maneuver my way there in the dark. Upon reaching the room, I found the door unlocked. Without a further thought, I admitted myself in. It was a total disaster inside. The armor suits had fallen over, sending pieces flying. A chest had been dragged into the center of the floor. Holly had moved. She was now on the other side of the room. She leaned against the wall with Kipps across her lap and George a few feet away. I sighed with relief to see them all alive.

As I fully entered the room, Holly looked up in surprise. She thought I was a Visitor. "Holly, it's me, Lucy."

The tension that had built up in Holly's muscles relaxed as she recognized me. "Oh Lucy, thank goodness."

"How are you?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

"t was terrible," she began. Tears flooded her eyes. I could see the fear and worry. "I can't –"

"It's okay. You don't have to explain. Let's get you all out of here." I gently roused George while Holly woke Kipps who laid face down in a pile of armor.

After checking to see that everyone was well enough to return to the inn, we all headed out and into the library. Lockwood had fallen asleep in his chair, and I quickly woke him. I didn't want him to go unconscious again. Lockwood stood from his chair. Both George and I helped him to stand upright, but it was quite difficult. Lockwood was unstable on his feet and swayed to and from. George put his arm around Lockwood's shoulder, and I shifted mine to his waist. With my free hand, I took one of Lockwood's. I wouldn't be surprised if the fear was evident in my eyes. That had been close. Too close in my opinion. There's no telling what could have happen if I had come a moment later. Lockwood squeezed my hand gently, but it did nothing to calm my nerves. We got two night cabs that took us back to the inn. I went upstairs with Lockwood and into my room.

"I'm okay, Lucy," he said as I checked him over.

"Well, I just want to make sure." I continued to search for injuries. As I was turning, my arm brushed against his shoulder. Lockwood flinched, but tried to hide it. "What's this?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really."

"Take off your coat," I said sternly.

Lockwood nodded that he'd heard me. He moved to take it off, but drew back in sudden pain. Something was wrong. I gently took the sleeve of his coat and pulled it off. He white shirt had a crimson stain on the shoulder.

"Lockwood," I began. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He looked at the injury and shrugged. "I didn't think it was that bad."

The wound was still covered by his cotton shirt. I sat down of the edge of the bed and began to unbutton it. Lockwood didn't move, but instead watched me with steady eyes. After the shirt hung open, I helped him removed one arm. That only left the injured arm in the other sleeve. I had Lockwood relaxed his arm as I started to take it off. Lockwood flinched again, this time when a piece of the shirt caught on the injury. With light fingers, I removed the rest of the shirt. There, on Lockwood's shoulder, was one of the worst injuries that I ever seen. An entire bit of his shoulder had been carved out, and I almost thought that I saw a bit of bone. I gasped and sprang off the bed. Even Lockwood seemed surprised.

"Oh my god," I said. "Come here." Lockwood shuffled over to where I was standing. "Okay, um. We need to clean it."

I led Lockwood to the bathroom and positioned him down on countertop. He leaned back against the sink. I found a washcloth and began to dab warm water on the abrasion. Lockwood watched me with his dark eyes. I found it hard to look directly at him. I was steaming with anger, but I was even more shaken. It was too close. I couldn't get the thought out of my mind. After cleaning his injury, I began bandaging Lockwood's shoulder. I finished in silence. Done. Then, Lockwood slid off of the counter and took my hand. He led me to the bedroom where we both sat on the mattress. I leaned up against Lockwood, desperately trying to push the dark thoughts from my mind. There was a shrouding silence that was eventually broken.

"You know Lucy," Lockwood said quietly. "You remind me a lot of my sister."

I looked at him, but said nothing. My eyes filled once again with tears.

"Hey, I didn't mean that to make you cry. It's just. I don't know," he said, looking down at his scraped-up hands. I took one of them.

"No," I whispered. "It's not that. It's you. You came to close. It was almost too late."

Lockwood looked sharply up at me. His solemn eyes sprang back to their usual liveliness. "Then I guess we've both experienced it. The feeling of worry for one another."

I nodded, wiping my tears away. I sat up a little straighter. "I guess so. And what do we do?"

"Well," Lockwood said, "What do you say that we make a pact to always stick together? Always work side-by-side? And never go off alone?" Lockwood stuck out his hand and grinned.

"It sounds perfect," I replied, smiling back. I took his hand and firmly shook it.

"Great!" Lockwood said. "George will just have to fend for himself."

I laughed. "He'll be fine," I said. "As long as his stays with Holly and Kipps." Lockwood's facial expression fell. His smile disappeared as he awkwardly looked down at his hands for a second time. "What?" I asked.

"About that," he said. "I asked George to do it."

I didn't say anything. Not a word. Confusion overcame me. How many months had George been doing this? I thought back to several of our more recent cases. Who did I go off with? Lockwood. Every time. Lockwood. For a while I had thought that George was getting tired of working with me, but it was all because of Lockwood. I was speechless.

"I'm sorry, Luce. I just didn't want to come on too strong. I mean, I've never really had anyone in my life that I've felt this way about. Other than you…So, I asked George. He said that I should take it slow. Then he said that he could help me if I let him. He planned all of those cases so that I could spend more time and see how you feel."

Silence. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Lockwood spoke again. "How do you feel?"

It was the second time that we'd been on this subject in the past few days. I knew how I felt. I, too, had never experienced anything like that, but that doesn't mean that I didn't know what to do. I opened my eyes. Lockwood still sat directly beside me. Before I could stop myself, I turned, pressed myself against his body, and locked my lips onto his. I felt Lockwood relaxed underneath me, his warmth seeping through his clothes. Lockwood put his hand against my ear. I put my fingers on the back of his head and clutched his hair. I slowly pulled away and looked at Lockwood. His eyes sparkled. He took my hand and squeezed. I slipped off the end of the bed, leaving Lockwood where he sat. I picked up my lilac pajamas and headed towards the bathroom to change. Lockwood gazed at me and, just as I was shutting the door, blew me a kiss.


	17. The End of It Part One

HI GUYS IM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY THAT THIS DIDN'T COME SOONER! Please forgive me. I've been soo busy (especially with balancing school AND reading the newest Lockwood! Don't worry, I'm not crossing the two stories whatsoever. Although, one of the ideas that I had for this story was in the new book. Who knew that Stroud and I think so alike! Any way here's a very long part one of the ending. I'll publish the finale asap. I'll try to make it long so we can all savor it. Happy reading! ~A super duper sorry author, Annie

Chapter Seventeen – The End of It; part one

I woke up feeling a little sore from the blow that I'd endured the night before. It was past noon. We hadn't arrived at the hotel until four o'clock that morning, and we all needed the extra sleep. Lockwood slept beside me which was very unusual for him. Typically, he'd already have been up and about, but not this time. He looked worn-out from the previous night's excursions. I also felt a little lethargic, but I forced myself to sit up. Lockwood breathed heavily as I slipped from the bed. I took a quick shower, running the water on hot. Upon returning to the room, Lockwood was still asleep. Holly or Quill occupied the bathroom, so I decided that it'd be okay if I quickly changed in the bedroom. Leggings, sweater, socks. They all slipped on easily. I was having trouble fastening my skirt, probably due to my rushing fingers. Just as I got the skirt together, I turned around to find Lockwood desperately closing his eyes, pulling the covers up over his shoulders, and pretending to sleep. I tiptoed to the side of the bed where he "slept" and waited. One by one, Lockwood opened his eyes to see where I'd had gone. When he didn't see me anywhere, he sat straight up in bed. He was shirtless. I had no idea when that had happened or where the pajama top had gone. Oh well. He looked…nice.

"Gotcha!" I yelled, leaping out from behind his suitcase and onto the bed. Lockwood jumped back, but when realized it was me, he reached out and snatched me from the air.

"You scared me!" Lockwood said.

"Really now? You were already awake." I retorted.

"Whaaaatttt?" he mumbled. A grin spread across his face.

"Come on, Lockwood," I said. "We have some work to do."

"It doesn't have to be work and no play," he said, frowning.

"Well, we can have playtime when we solve this case."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Lockwood said jokingly. Although he laughed, I could tell from his dark, sparkling eyes that he meant what he said. Lockwood sprang from the bed and dashed into the bathroom to change. Not even after a few seconds, Lockwood returned, eyes wide with fright and surprise.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Kipps…" Lockwood murmured.

"Oh. Just change in here. I can wait outside," I said as I opened the door and exited.

Lockwood was about to protest my leaving, but I shut the door just in time. It wasn't long before Lockwood and I were walking down the corridor to meet the others who should've been waiting downstairs. Only George was down there, though. Just George, sitting at a table reading a magazine. It was one of _those_ magazines. The ones Lockwood reads about popular people and society. I'm not interested in it, anyway. As Lockwood and I sat down, George laid the magazine down on the table.

"How do you read this stuff?" George asked. "It's complete crap!"

"Oh, don't say that," Lockwood replied. "You just don't understand it."

I smiled. It was true. George probably didn't understand it. These were the type of conversations that I loved. George and Lockwood talking about a certain subject where they both had completely opposite opinions. It always resulted in some comical argument. As I surfaced from my thoughts, I found George and Lockwood staring at me.

"Why are you smiling?" Lockwood asked.

"No reason," I coolly replied.

"Everything has a reason," George said. He took off his glasses and rubbed them on his sweater.

Lockwood began to say something but was interrupted by Holly and Kipps who had just arrived. "Hi everyone," Holly said. She still looked somewhat different than her usual self. Her hair was wet from the shower, her clothes rumpled. The sight was appalling. I felt horrible that the case that we were solving was affecting everyone's personal appearance, but there wasn't much that I could do. Even Lockwood hadn't spent much time on his hair that morning which was quite unusual. We were sitting in a weird booth. It had three sides to sit on. One parallel to the wall and the others perpendicular. I stayed beside Lockwood as Holly and Kipps sat down beside each other. George happily scooted to the wall-side of the booth and embraced his extra space. We ordered cakes, tea, and a small plate of fruit. After our mid-afternoon meal, everyone seemed to be back to normal. It was nearly two when I stood up from the table to prepare our supplies. Lockwood followed suite. Everyone else was still eating, but Lockwood and I had finished.

"No, no," Lockwood said calmly. "We can take care of the supplies. Take your time."

Lockwood and I walked up the stairs to all of our rooms. I gathered chains and such from Holly and Quill's room while Lockwood agreed to venture into where George was staying. Upon returning from the room next door, Lockwood was still there with no new supplies.

"Well aren't you going to go?" I asked.

"I couldn't bring myself to do it alone. It's a disaster in there," he said.

"You can do it, Lockwood," I teased.

"Come on, Luce?" he pleaded. "Remember our pact?"

"Oh alright. I'll go with you. But the pact was about hauntings, not George." I rolled my eyes.

"Yay!" Lockwood said, bouncing up from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He flew through the door and waited for me outside. Lockwood stood in the hall smiling. I walked over to where he patiently waited. He casually took my hand as we arrived outside of George's room.

"What's this for?" I asked while looking down at our clasped hands.

"Am I suddenly not allowed to hold your hand?" he questioned. Lockwood looked hurt.

"No, you're allowed to. But the real reason is…?"

Lockwood shyly met my eyes. "I'm scared," he said.

I bust out laughing. "Scared? Of going in George's room?"

Lockwood nodded. "Yah. You never know what's in there." He winked.

"Well, let's find out." I grasped the knob of the door and gently pushed. It swung open without a sound. The room was dark, the curtains pulled shut. I could see the thin outline of the bedframe. At the foot of it sat a pile of work items. Lockwood and I began to make our way to where our goal was. I know it sounds cliché to say I tripped on something, but I did. We were almost to the edge of the bed when my foot caught on a wad of something made of a thin cloth. I went soaring through the air and landed softly on George's bed. Lockwood bounced down beside me. Our hands were still tightly locked. I had accidentally pulled him with me. The room was still dim, but as I turned to Lockwood, I could see his frame. His hair was swept across his forehead. I could see his dark eyes twinkle from the little light that floated through the curtains as he sat up on his elbow. I remained against the bed. Lockwood leaned closer. He put a cupped hand on my cheek. Almost as lightly as I had landed on the bedspread, Lockwood kissed me. Just once. Warmth seeped from Lockwood's lips and into mine. I shuddered at the sudden burst of energy that Lockwood emitted. He brushed a strand of my hair aside. Right as he was pulling away, the lights of the room flashed on illuminating George's body standing in the door.

"What the _hell's_ going on in here?" he questioned. George's eyes were wide and searching.

I sat up. My face blushed a dark shade of red. Lockwood, too, sat up, but continued to hold my hand. George's eyes flashed to the link where we touched. "Oh, come on!" he groaned. "That's the reason you two are sharing a room. I didn't mean for you to come in here."

"Actually," Lockwood said. "Luce and I were just getting your work supplies. Nothing to worry about." He stepped down from the bed and picked up the dark bag replete with chains and fillings, flares and salt.

"Mhm," George said as Lockwood walked through the door. I didn't move. "Well aren't you going to follow him?" George asked.

"Yes. In a minute. I had a question though," I replied. George nodded. "Why are you doing all of this? Setting Lockwood with me?"

George was silent for a moment. He responded, "You remember what I told you after the Ealing Cannibal case? Lockwood would throw himself into any and every danger when you weren't around. But when you're with him, he stops and thinks how his actions will affect you. Especially if it's just the two of you. He'd be more worried about you getting out and if that means trapping the Visitor in daylight or later on, he's willing to do that. For you."

I looked down at my hands. "Wow. You've thought about this before?" I asked.

George's gaze locked on mine. "No. He told me." After that, neither of us spoke. I had a lot to think about. George stepped aside as I passed through the open door. We had a long night ahead of us. I entered the room to find Lockwood sprawled out on the bed.

"What's up?" I asked as I sat on the corner.

"Nothing."

"Okay," I said. I stood to leave, but Lockwood grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back.

"Actually, I'm slightly worried about how tonight is going to go," Lockwood said. He met my gaze and then looked away. Then, Lockwood sat up on his elbows and took my hand. His eyes locked onto mine, a fierce passion burning in them. "So, it would make me feel a whole lot better if tonight you accompanied me, not only as a fellow agent and coworker, but as my girlfriend." He flashed me his prize grin and awaited my response.

I was quite taken a back. "You're asking me out?"

"I am. It'd be fun! Our first date…during a case. Anyway, we could go on a proper date when we get home. It's just – with all that's happened – I couldn't wait."

I thought for a moment. I liked Lockwood. A lot. What did I have to lose? Other than him of course. "Sure." I smiled. "That'd be great."

Lockwood didn't say anything, but his smile grew. "Thanks, Luce."

After gathering all of the team's supplies, Lockwood and I walked downstairs heavy laden with bags, chains, the works. The Visitor that had attacked George, Holly, and Kipps was extremely powerful, and no one wanted to be ambushed for a second time. As we rode in the taxi, everyone agreed that we wouldn't split up into teams. We decided that everyone needed to be close together. That, even though it should've, didn't impact Lockwood and my promise to stay with each other. It had come to the point where we meant too much to each other to risk any accidents happening.

We arrived at the Blythe Estate around 4:00 pm. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a dark gray due to the many clouds that had blown in. Our main and only focus that night was the armory and anything concerning that haunting. We entered the manor. The windows let in a dim light, but it still didn't warm up the air. George checked his waist for his thermometer. "It's 59 degrees and falling," he informed us.

"Well," Lockwood said. "Something's stirring quite early." We all walked around taking typical measurements. I walked into the armory. The floor had embraced a new coat of dust since we'd been there the night before. The entire room was cloaked in an odd silence that I knew would break as the evening dragged on. There was moment behind me. Involuntarily, my hand flew to the hilt of my rapier as I slowly turned around. "Relax," Lockwood said. "It's only me." I sighed in relief. I don't think I was ready to see that bloody man again. "Something wrong?" Lockwood asked.

"Yes, actually. I saw an apparition last night. Other than the servant girl." Lockwood raise an eyebrow, but steadily held my gaze. "It looked a lot like Sir Blythe, except he was dead of course. There was a large sword sticking through his chest."

"Hm. Murder victim?" Lockwood wondered aloud. "Maybe he killed him. I guess we'll find out. Thanks for telling me."

"No problem," I replied.

"Oh, and Lucy," Lockwood said as he began to leave. "Be safe tonight. Please. For me." And with that, he left, exposing me to the horrors of the armory.

I continued to look around in the room. A suit of armor, chest plate, shield. All stuff from a battle long ago. Why? Why keep it? Sentimental? It was bordering on 6 pm by the time that I caught the first stir. I was standing by the north wall, opening my canteen of tea. The room had grown somewhat darker. The fading sun cast an unholy glow of light onto the suits of armor. I leaned back against the wall, pressing both my hands on it. Whispers. I listened with my inner ear. Then, all at once, they came. Voices, shouting. "You don't understand!"

"Bloody hell I do."

"It's my property, I inherited it."

"And I get what? The farm?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I don't want it. Our lazy parents could have invested in something more than that!"

"Don't you dare talk about them like that!"

"Oh, sorry! Father worked day and night. As did mother! Only to come home and be abused by him!"

I flinched at the burst of sarcasm that was evident in the raging voice. It's power and authority overcame the second being. I tuned back into the shouts. Another outraged cry. A scream. Suddenly, my inner ear was filled with guttural sound. I could hear the warm blood welling up in someone's throat. They couldn't breathe. Just as I heard the sounds, the feeling overcame me. My throat, too, closed up. I desperately tried to suck in air, but it wasn't working. Looking towards the center of the room, an apparition formed. Beside it floated a dark cloud, another presence. They were similar in shape even though one was only an outline. Almost…twins. Terror filled my bones as I watched the large, moving mass strike the apparition. The rushing of blood was back, an endless loop. Over and over the Visitor fought its foe; again, and again it lost the battle; time after time the sound of thick blood filled my ears.

I couldn't escape. I became dizzy, and I could sense that I was about to fall. Then, an arm reached out and grabbed mine. It cut through my vision like a sharp knife. I looked up from my crouched position to find Lockwood. He wrapped a quick, thin arm around my waist and helped me stand. I did so and leaned close against him. I couldn't begin to describe what had just happened to me. At first, he didn't say anything. His silence made me more worried. I looked up into his eyes. Worry, fear, sadness. They filled his eyes and I couldn't see past them. I mustered a smile to reassure him that I was okay, not that I was. What I really needed was for Lockwood to speak to me, tell me what he was feeling. As I smiled bigger, the fear and concern began to melt away from Lockwood's visage. A new look formed. Taking my hand, he, too, smiled.

"You're absolutely positive that you're okay?" Lockwood asked for the millionth time.

"Yes. I'm better, anyway."

We had all gathered on the main staircase. It seemed to be the best place. The library had shown weird temperature changes, and no one wanted to take chances at a surprise Visitor. Holly and Quill sat against the rain on the far side, directly across from me. And Lockwood. George had placed himself in the smack center of the staircase so he could gaze into the hallways and foyer below.

"So, Lucy. You obviously became immersed in another world. What did you see? Feel? Anything. Anything that'll help us find this darn Source."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I did get something that may be of use. There were twins. Sir Blythe wasn't the only child. He had a brother. That brother was brutally killed in… guess where. The armory."

"He lied?" Lockwood wondered aloud. "Well, that's not very nice."

"If what I believe happened, he's not nice at all," I replied.

"Yes!" George's exclamation was loud enough to startle us all. "I remember! There was a report of a Charles Blythe disappearing a couple of decades ago. I saw an article in the Archives about it, but I didn't really worry about it because we were told he was an only child."

"Hmph. So, what do we do? Go home and come back?" Kipps asked.

"Of course not!" Lockwood said. His optimism radiated throughout the air, breaking against me in waves. The feeling made me smile. Lockwood. Almost nothing fazed him. I realized that I was looking at him when he caught my eye and smiled back. Grinning, he said, "We'll proceed as planned."  
"Hold up a minute," George said. "I told you that I didn't worry about the article. That doesn't mean that I don't have it with me." I winked at all of us as he opened his bag to begin searching. Suddenly, with a large flourish of his arm, George withdrew a small pamphlet of newspaper cuts. George had never been great with scissors. There were noticeable jagged edges on the side of the papers, but I didn't mind. No one else did, either. "Voila!" he called. A thin piece of a news clipping was being passed around.

Young Man, 18, Stabbed in Country Home

Charles Blythe, aged 18, was found in his home on Saturday 16 of November. Parents, Sarah and Timothy Blythe were away from the house. Charles's brother, Samuel, several hours after the incident. From there, he called Scotland Yard and waited for further assistance. Medical personal has reported that there were over 13 places where contact was made on the skin of the body, and investigations are being done. Neighbors and family members have been or will be questioned in the near future. If you have any evidence pertaining to this incident, please contact the local authorities. Further information is being processed and will be revealed shortly.

"Ouch," I said after George read it aloud. "Horrible way to go." I looked at Lockwood. He was deep in thought. "So, what's the plan, Lockwood. Any idea on the Source?"

"No clue on what it is, but I have an idea on how to find out. Who's up for a game of cat and mouse?"

We all gathered our things and moved to the corridor outside of the massive armory. I had only been in the main room, but Holly informed us that there were other sections of it, some reaching parts of the second floor. "See that tower?" Holly asked. "It ends around that. I'm not sure if they're completely connected or not, but we can find out."

"Sure," Lockwood said. "Luce and I can look over there. George, you okay with Holly and Kipps?"

"Definitely," George said. "Someone's gotta keep them off each other." Kipps's face blushed as Holly looked up at him. I saw her discreetly smile, and then she returned her attention to us. He winked and turned to Lockwood and me. "And you two better behave yourselves."

Lockwood only smiled, lighting up our section of the room. It wasn't fake in any way, just a genuine smile that didn't imply anything. "No problem, George. Stay in this area, and call if you need help."

"Will do."

We went our separate ways. I turned on my heel and began to leave the main section of the armory. As we walked away, Lockwood caught up, brushing his shoulder against mine, as we went to explore that farthest reaches of the forgotten tower.


	18. The End of It Part Two

This next chapter is dedicated to one of my reviewers, Allie. Thanks so much for your input! I really needed that. I'm going to write another fanfic about L&C. I'll do better with Lucy's part in that one, BUT there's one thing. There's a reason why my story seemed to be lacking feminism. There's a major plot twist in this second part of the chapter. And I mean MAJOR. _That's_ why. So, it's not because I'm against feminism or anything of the sort. We all know that Lucy can take care of herself and is a baddie. She doesn't need a savior. AND, we all also know that Lucy's not as emotional as she's portrayed in the beginning and middle of this story. All that's about to change with the … PLOT TWIST! Anyway, you'll see! I really appreciate all the reviews that I'm getting. It helps me to become a better writer, not just because you all give amazing input, but it puts it in a better perspective for me to review my own work. I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter. (I've upped my game) Allie, this one's for you. ~Sincerely, Annie

Chapter Seventeen – The End of It; part two

We moved quickly, Lockwood and I, as we mounted the steps of the tower. It wasn't a place to linger. The pressure in the air had heightened more than ever, and my ears ached. My head pounded. I looked at my phosphorescent watch.; it was nearly three am. The time passed slowly. We had a large job to do. Upon arriving at the next level, the air cleared. I leaned back against the cool stones that formed the tower's wall. What I desperately needed was a break. My thighs burned with a fierce hatred of the steps that we had just climbed, not to mention that some hundred more that we had to go. The tower seemed to reach up forever. There was movement at my side; Lockwood had done the same.

"How you feeling, Luce?" Lockwood said in hushed tones, might I had. Neither of us had said anything for some time, and I could tell that Lockwood didn't want to raise his voice anymore. We were dealing with an angry and brutally murdered Specter; it was without doubt a type-two.

"I'm alright. My head just cleared a little bit," I said back. With my rapier hand, I brushed a lock of hair out of my eyes. "Thankfully," I added.

"That's good."

"Yeah."

It's not like we were being awkward. It was just in the middle of the case, no time for small talk. Both Lockwood and I knew that. He looked at me, smiling in the dark. I grinned back. It was times like that one, in the tower, that I enjoy the most. Times where the thrill of the case is upon Lockwood. His leadership blooms whenever we're out on a case, making me like him just that much more. Or more accurately, love him. Yes, I love him. I'd figured that one out a long time ago. The air shifted. I felt Lockwood bristle beside me. He, too, had sensed the sudden change. Instinctively, my hand moved to my rapier. The hair slowly draped itself back where it had been. I puffed out a quick, firm breath. The hair drifted a bit, but remained the same.

 _Struggling, aren't you?_ I heard the ghost in the jar speak up. I didn't honor that comment with a reply. I was too focused.

Lockwood had noticed my issue. "Here, let me help," he said, lifting a thin hand to my face. He brushed it back behind my ear ever so gently. He smiled again, lighting up the staircase. Just when he removed his hand, I looked beyond his shoulder. A spectral light bloomed from behind him, growing steadily. Then, a face came into view. Yes. Charles Blythe, twin brother to Samuel.

"Thanks, Lockwood, but, erm, _he's back,"_ I said, gesturing over his left shoulder.

"Ah, there we go. I was wondering when he'd show," Lockwood said. He seemed confident enough, ever so sure that we'd find the Source soon. It was an odd case, one that had taken us quite a few days to figure out. Not to mention, we solved the story behind the haunting. I expected that a few arrests would be made before the week was over. I returned my attention back to the Specter that loomed over us. Lockwood drew his rapier and held it in front of him. He positioned himself in a defense pose. _That_ annoyed me. Yes, I knew that Lockwood was ever so fond of protecting me first, but that didn't mean that I always needed it.

"Shove over. I can protect myself," I whispered. The words flew crisply from my lips, crackling like static in the thick air.

"Not with this one, Luce. Haven't you noticed that it's attention is completely on you?" Lockwood asked. He shifted his position again, covering me from in front of where I had just moved. "Why do you think it locked me in a room? To get a load of you, that's why. Catch ya alone, no one there to protect you." I could see him grinning in the dim light that the ghost cast.

"You needn't say it like that, Lockwood. It makes me sound…helpless."

 _To be fair, you are pretty helpless._

"Sorry, Luce. I didn't mean it that way."

I groaned. "Oh, you shut up." Lockwood looked sharply at me. He raised an eyebrow. I nodded to the skull that was in my backpack. I saw Lockwood's expression change. He understood how the Skull could be; vindictive at the best of times. I don't think I'll describe it at its worst. "If you don't have helpful insight, I don't want to hear it." Crap. When I had engaged with the Skull, it had entangled Lockwood in our conversation; that meant that Lockwood was unprepared for the sudden spectral attack that was about to happen. "Duck!" I shouted as a blast of plasm flew towards Lockwood. He rolled out of the way just in time. The plasm crashed against a stone wall.

"We need to go, Luce. Head up." He made a move towards the waiting stone staircase.

"Sure thing," I said, but I didn't move. Ghost-lock had me tight in its grips. I struggled against it, but proved to no avail. My feet were plastered to the cobblestones on which I stood. Lockwood had bolted up the stairs, leaving me alone in the center of the room.

I heard him shout my name several times. It was no use. Too late. I'd accepted my fate. Good bye world. Good bye everything. I heard sharp footsteps on stone. They crescendoed as they drew nearer. Nearer. The Specter had drawn itself up higher than ever. Jet black holes had formed in its chest; they were as deep as an abyss and just as dark. Wounds from the swords. I stared transfixed at them and prepared myself for the Visitor to strike me down. I waited. The stairwell filled with a greenish light. I stood a little taller. It'd be glorious.

 _Uh, Lucy? You sure this is the way you wanna go?_ the Skull called to me through the dense fog that had covered my brain; my cognitive skills had shut down and, suddenly, clicked back on. I realized what was about to happen, but it was too late. Too late for me to react or move. Just as the Spectral force erupted like a dam breaking, Lockwood flew at me with ferocious speed, knocking me off of my feet. And, out of the way of the line of fire.

As soon as we hit the floor, Lockwood was wrenching me to my feet, willing me to stand. He pulled quickly on my arm and we sprinted up the staircase that waited openly. The Visitor did not hesitate; it followed our movements, mimicked our footsteps. The first door we found, we tore open. Lockwood dragged me inside and shut it as quickly. The inside of the door had iron bolts and hinges, but that wouldn't hold the ghost at bay for long. It sought to attack _me_ both physically and psychically. We needed to act quickly. Thankfully, Lockwood was on his A-game; whenever we seemed to be in a spot of trouble, Lockwood's problem solving always sharpened. He quickly laid a down several iron chains, forming a thick, durable iron circle. He grasped my hand and gently moved me inside the chains, out of the way of direct danger. At first, I expected him to stay outside the chains, and I was ready to argue with him, but he didn't. He continued to hold my hand and stayed inside the iron circle with me. With his right hand, he drew his rapier and with the other, he gave my fingers a sharp, reassuring squeeze. He caught my eyes, and I spotted the familiar twinkle. The light that resided in his dark, soft eyes. A look filled his face that I recognized immediately. 'Be calm. We'll be okay,' it said.

"We always are," I said.

"What?" he asked. Lockwood glanced at me from underneath his dark bangs.

"Didn't you say something?" I asked.

"No." He worriedly looked at me, questioning. "What'd you hear?" I was about to reply, but was interrupted by a loud thud that sounded from outside the door. I shrunk back against Lockwood's shoulder. He rested his head on me. I heard him breathing, felt his heart pounding against my shoulder blade. Truth be told, I was terrified. My heart rate quickened as I gasped for breath. "Be calm, Luce. We'll be okay." Another squeeze on my hand. Wait. That line.

"Huh?" I whispered.

"I said we'll be okay."

"Lockwood," I said, turning to him. "Something's not right. No. Something's wrong with this. You've said that twice now." I went to meet his eyes, but they weren't the same. Something had changed, shifted. The brown glow that they usually emitted was gone. They were all black. It couldn't be him. I cried out, stumbling backwards, outside of the chains. "Lockwood! No! No, Lockwood! What happened?!" Tears began streaming down my face. I couldn't stop them either. I'm not usually an emotional person, but a sense of sadness and fear overwhelmed me, and there was nothing that I could do. I wrenched the door open to find the original Visitor lurking in the corridor, waiting for me. "Lockwood!" I cried out again. "Help me. Please." The spectral attack had left me weakened. I felt my legs give out from underneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

"Lucy. Lucy. I'm here. It's alright."

A familiar voice woke me from my blackout. I forced myself to open my eyes. My hair was matted with a sticky, thick substance. On my knee, a large rip had been torn in my leggings. I blinked. Above me was…Lockwood. Thank god. His eyes were back to their normal state.

"I'm so sorry," he began. "I didn't think, really. I was just worried about the ghost's plasm touching you and-" he broke off. I could see the lump in his throat.

I sat up quickly, ignoring the pounding in my head. Looking around, I noticed where I as: in the same position on the floor when Lockwood had collided with me. All of the following events…they hadn't happened, yet. "We need to go," I blurted out.

Lockwood's eyes were still on me. "Well, yes, but are you alright?"

"Stuff that! You're the one it's targeting. Not me. I'm just the one in its way!" This time, everything had flip-flopped. _I_ was the one yanking Lockwood to his feet. _I_ was the one pulling us to the stairs. _I_ was the one that guided us some couple of stories upward, until we broke into the highest peak of the tower. And there, in a pile of old suits of armor, was a little fragment of white. Bone. Charles _was_ the suit of armor. No wonder it didn't need to be strung up on a wall. There was a body inside! The Source. I needed to seal it up, no time though. Just as we had rushed up the stairs, the Visitor had too. He hung back in the doorway, but I could see the fire blazing in his dark eyes. Lockwood, stiff beside me, drew himself up. I knew that he'd want to stay and fight. "Lockwood, let's go."

A thin glaze coated his eyes. It was what he'd always wished for, a glorious end. I tugged at his wrist, but he held firm. "We can take him!" I desperately caught his eyes. "In a minute."

"No! Now!" I shouted. I pushed Lockwood out of the way as a burst of plasm shot our way. Once again, our roles were switched. He _always_ tried to save me, not that I ever enjoyed being protected as such. But what was wrong with him? Curiosity flared inside me, but it didn't matter. I had to remember my priorities. I lifted my foot and kicked out a window. There were vines climbing up the walls of the tower; we could escape. I knew what the Source was. It wouldn't be difficult to come back and get it later that morning. I took Lockwood's hand and helped him stand. I gestured to the open window. He nodded in agreement and waited for me to go first. Without hesitation, I began to climb outside of the window. Now, I hate heights with every ounce of my being. This time was no different, but we needed to evacuate quickly. Lockwood began to exit the window. He was hovering over me, perched on the ledge, when a sudden burst of spectral wind knocked him out the window and into the night.

I reacted quickly, stretching out to my full extent to catch him. He, too, reached out, grasping my wrist. I dug my nails into his skin, willing myself to hold on as tight as possible. I felt the vine swing in the cool night air.

 _Uh oh, Lucy. Going down._ And then, the branch broke. Lockwood still held onto me and pulled me to him. We went down, sounds rushing in our ears. Thankfully, the impact wasn't bad at all. We landed in the hay that had been placed underneath the tower for the horses. The stables were a few yards away. I sat up. "You two okay?" a voice asked. I turned around to find Holly with her rapier drawn. She relaxed as I sat up, responsive.

Brushing dust from off of my leggings I responded, "Thankfully, yes. And I know what the Source is." She quizzically looked at me.

"We've just secured the Source, Lucy. The job's over. We can go home." I looked sharply up at her.

 _How though? How can that be possible?_ The Skull asked.

I turned around to check on Lockwood. His eyes were closed. His breathing stilled. No. I looked to Holly. Her soft, brown eyes had turned a dark, black color. I leapt from the hay and began to run. But where would I go? What had happened? What had infected them? I continued running and only paused to look over my shoulder. They were coming, fast. I went to look in front of me and ran directly into a fence.

A sinister rapping woke me from my daze. I sat up in bed, untangling the sheets from my body. My bed. The one in my little attic bedroom. At 35 Portland Row. I was home. "Luce? Lucy? We should really get going!" Lockwood. How?

"Coming!" I shouted as I threw myself out of the bed and onto the cool wooden planks of the floor.

"Let's try to be out of here by nine! Best not to keep Sir Blythe waiting."

I dashed into the cramped bathroom for a rushed shower. Sir Blythe? But we had already taken care of his Visitors. Hadn't we? I flung on my robe and quickly changed into my work outfit. The rip that had been in my leggings the previous night was gone. Had it all been a dream? The kisses, the late nights? All figments of my imagination? Must've been. I wasn't as needy in real life. I knew that for a fact. There's no way that I'd ever let Lockwood do half of the things that I scarcely remembered happening. Remember. I desperately tried to recall the events as I pulled on my wool sweater. Nothing. They all escaped my mind, except for one. Just one. A dream where I'd ventured downstairs, only to find Lockwood in the library; that had been the night before we left to journey to the Blythe Estate. Realizing the things that my sub consciousness had conjured up, I wouldn't be surprised if that one had been fake as well. It didn't matter.

 _Forgetting someone?_ a voice called as I began to leave the room. I turned around, blinking. There, in my window, glowered the Skull, emitting an unholy light. _You two just about made me sick last night. All that cuddling and reading and hugging and UGH. Needs to stop, in my opinion._

I shoved the ghost jar into my back pack. I heard voices in the kitchen downstairs, the clink of cutlery. Kipps could be seen pattering around the kitchen in a white apron. He walked over to stir something in a pot, but received a pop on the hand by George's spatula. Following that came a series of long, reprimanding statements and then a deluge of instructions. I leaned over the stair rail to find Holly adjusting our work bags. The chains had been noticeably oiled. Fresh bags of salt and iron sat in waiting to be gathered up. I didn't see Lockwood anywhere. He was probably down in the basement for a morning rapier session with Lady Esmerelda. I would not have been surprised if that _had_ been the case. Everyone seemed to be up and moving about. I turned around to close my bedroom door. "You ready, Luce? There's breakfast down here, if you'd like it."

I rotated to find Lockwood at the foot of the stairs. He'd showered and his hair was elegantly damp. He wore a pressed white shirt and dark pants. Over his left arm hang his typical, signature overcoat. He'd put on his work boots. I looked _so_ unorganized compared to him. I balanced my boots underneath my arm while attempting to fit my rapier in its traditional place. "Err, yeah. I'll be right down." I ignored the feeling of warmness the flooded my face.

Lockwood smiled at me. He began to walk away towards the kitchen, but paused for a moment, thought about it, and came back. "By the way, Luce."

"Yeah?" I replied, finally adjusting my rapier to its perfect spot. "You need something?" I asked as I sat down at the top of the stairs to pull on my boots. One slid on easily, giving me a strong sense of comfort in the overly confusing moments that had passed. Lockwood scratched his head giving off the idea that he didn't know what to say.

"I was just going to let you know," he began, "that I really enjoyed last night. And I'm really sorry if I woke you when we went upstairs. Anyway, um, so, I guess what I'm trying to say is…thanks."

I looked up at Lockwood. Once again, confusion flooded my vision, blurring the image of him standing there at the bottom of the stairs. "What?" I asked. Lockwood just smiled. "Am I missing something?" I said.

"You don't remember?" Lockwood questioned. A look of sincere amusement presented itself in his eyes.

"Surprisingly, no," I responded.

"Oh," Lockwood said. "Well, you came down to the library and proceeded to fall asleep. Then, I had to move out from where I was without waking you and take you upstairs. That's the gist of it, anyway." He looked up at me, joying in my look of confusion. He pushed his dark hair back with a quick swipe of his hand. "I think I'll go have another mug of tea. Join me?" he asked.

"Yup!" I chirped.

 _Ooh_! the Skull mischievously whispered.


End file.
